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Main points of Bush, Blair news conference
AFP
WASHINGTON
Petroleumworld.com 07 29 06
The following are main points from the news conference on Friday by US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair:
RICE TRIP TO MIDEAST
BUSH: "Tomorrow, Secretary (Condoleezza) Rice will return to the region. She will work with the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to seize this opportunity to achieve lasting peace and stability for both of their countries.
"Her instructions are to work with Israel and Lebanon to get a -- to come up with an acceptable UN Security Council resolution that we can table next week."
BLAIR: "I welcome very much the fact that Secretary Rice will go back to the region tomorrow. She will have with her the package of proposals in order to get agreement both from the government of Israel and the government of Lebanon on what is necessary to happen in order for this crisis to stop."
CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES
BUSH: "We share the same urgency of trying to stop the violence. That's why Condi Rice went out there very quickly."
BLAIR: "We feel deeply for people in Lebanon and people in Israel who are the innocent casualties of this conflict. Of course we do. And we want it to stop, and we want it to stop now.
"And what we're putting forward today is actually a practical plan that would lead to a UN resolution -- could be early next week -- that will allow it, put in place the conditions for it to stop."
MULTINATIONAL FORCE FOR LEBANON
BUSH: "We agree that a multinational force must be dispatched to Lebanon quickly to augment the Lebanese army as it moves to the south of that country.
"An effective multinational force will help speed delivery of humanitarian relief, facilitate the return of displaced persons, and support the Lebanese government as it asserts full sovereignty over its territory and guards its borders."
BLAIR: "We want to see it (a multinational force) happen as quickly as possible, but the conditions have got to be in place to allow it to happen ... This can only work if Hezbollah are prepared to allow it to work.
"And we've got to make sure, therefore, that we have the force go in as part of an agreement that the government of Lebanon have bound itself to, the government of Israel have bound itself to, the international community has bound itself to.
"And Hezbollah have got to appreciate that if they stand out against that, then it's not merely that they will be doing a huge disservice to the people of Lebanon, but they will also, again, face the fact that action will have to be taken against them."
UN RESOLUTION
BUSH: "Next week, the UN Security Council will meet as well. Our goal is a Chapter 7 resolution setting out a clear framework for cessation of hostilities on an urgent basis, and mandating the multinational force.
"Also at the United Nations, senior officials from many countries will meet to discuss the design and deployment of the multinational force."
BLAIR: The UN resolution, the passing of it, the agreeing of it, can be the occasion for the end of hostilities, if it's acted upon and agreed upon.
SYRIA AND IRAN
BUSH: "In Lebanon, Hezbollah and its Iranian and Syrian sponsors are willing to kill and to use violence to stop the spread of peace and democracy, and they're not going to succeed."
"Our message is: Give up your nuclear weapon and your nuclear weapon ambitions. That's my message to Syria -- I mean, to Iran. And my message to Syria is: You know, become an active participant in the neighborhood for peace."
BLAIR: "Iran and Syria have a choice. And they may think that they can avoid this choice; in fact, they can't.
"They can either come in and participate as proper and responsible members of the international community, or they will face the risk of increasing confrontation."
AFP 28 1834 GMT 07 06
Copyright ©2006 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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