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Lebanese Premier Seeks U.S. Help in Lifting Blockade
Traffic has slowed to a crawl in parts of Lebanon after routes such as this bridge near the port city of Sidon, were destroyed in fighting.
(By Mohammed Zaatari -- Associated Press)
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U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is scheduled to meet with E.U. foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday to push for greater contributions from Europe.
Annan also plans to visit several Middle East capitals, including Tehran and Damascus, where he will seek to build support for a long-term peace settlement between Israel and Lebanon. The U.N. chief believes that the cooperation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, two key supporters of Hezbollah, are vital in assuring that any final peace deal can stick.
Annan's chief spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said that Annan intends to "make sure" Lebanon's neighbors use their influence to prevent a resumption of fighting. He singled out Tehran, saying "it is clear that Iran has an influence on certain parts of the Lebanese society. We would hope they use that influence positively."
European envoys expressed support for Annan's plans, saying they hoped he could persuade Syria and Iran to constrain Hezbollah's activities. "If we all agree that Iran and Syria have considerable influence on Hezbollah and to a certain degree directs its activities in Lebanon, then it is very important to keep channels open," said a senior European diplomat. "Don't shut the doors."
Three Lebanese soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, meanwhile, as they tried to dismantle a missile, security officials told reporters in Beirut. They were the first casualties since Lebanese troops deployed into the border zone Aug. 17 as part of the cease-fire arrangements.
The Hezbollah television station, al-Manar, said the missile was one of the thousands fired by Israel during the 33-day conflict. But Lebanese security officials did not describe the source of the missile, which was found near the town of Tibnine about 10 miles north of the Israeli border.
An Israeli soldier was also killed in southern Lebanon when he stepped on a mine, Israeli officials said. Three others were wounded. Israel planted thousands of mines in the border area during its two-decade occupation of the area. Since Israeli forces pulled back into Israel in 2000, Hezbollah also has planted mines in the border hills.
Correspondents Doug Struck in Jerusalem, Molly Moore in Paris and staff writer Colum Lynch at the United Nations contributed to this report.
