U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday they back sending an international force to secure the Israel-Lebanon border, but both leaders reemphasized their positions that any plan to end the fighting must address long-running regional disputes. The two men also announced their support for a new United Nations resolution on the issue, saying they hoped to see a draft introduced next week. Bush told reporters he was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice back to the Middle East on Saturday to negotiate the terms. Bush said both leaders wanted a resolution providing “a framework for the cessation of hostilities on an urgent basis and mandating the multinational force.” “This is a moment of intense conflict in the Middle East,” he said. “Yet our aim is to turn it into a moment of opportunity and a chance for broader change in the region.”
