U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE PUT OFF A LEBANON STOP ON SUNDAY AFTER THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT ASKED HER NOT TO COME AND BEIRUT SAID IT WOULD ONLY CONSIDER AN IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE TO THE ISRAELI-HEZBOLLAH FIGHTING. LEBANESE OFFICIALS SAID THE REQUEST WAS MADE AFTER AROUND 50 CIVILIANS, INCLUDING MANY CHILDREN, WERE KILLED IN AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE ON THE VILLAGE OF QANA IN SOUTHERN LEBANON, THE WORST SINGLE ATTACK IN THE 19-DAY-OLD FIGHTING BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL. PRIME MINISTER FUAD SANIORA HAD PROPOSED A PLAN THAT WOULD END THE FIGHTING, AND RICE HAD SAID THIS PLAN HAD POSITIVE ASPECTS. BUT THE STRIKE ON QANA MAY HAVE AT LEAST TEMPORARILY DERAILED THE DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO END THE CRISIS. RICE HAD BEEN EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN BEIRUT FROM ISRAEL LATER SUNDAY. OFFICIALS TRAVELING WITH RICE SAID HER TRIP HAD BEEN TENTATIVELY PLANNED BUT WAS NEVER CERTAIN. AFTER NEWS OF THE OVERNIGHT KILLINGS REACHED BEIRUT, TOP GOVERNMENT LEADERS HELD EMERGENCY DISCUSSIONS AND DECIDED NOT TO RECEIVE RICE AND TO RESTRICT ANY IMMEDIATE TALKS TO A CEASE-FIRE. SANIORA SAID LEBANON WOULD ONLY BE OPEN TO DISCUSSING AN «IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL» CEASE-FIRE. PRESIDENT EMILE LAHOUD IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH AL-JAZEERA TV SUGGESTED THAT U.S. SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL WAS PARTLY TO BLAME FOR WHAT HE CALLED «ISRAEL'S MASSACRES.» «AN IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE FIRST, THEN WE CAN LATER DISCUSS OTHER ISSUES,» HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD OLMERT SAID SUNDAY THAT ISRAEL WOULD NOT RUSH INTO A CEASE-FIRE IN SOUTHERN LEBANON UNTIL IT ACHIEVES ITS GOALS THERE. AN ANGRY SANIORA CALLED ISRAEL'S ATTACKS AGAINST LEBANON «HEINOUS CRIMES» AND CALLED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL PROBE INTO THE KILLING OF CIVILIANS IN THE ISRAELI OFFENSIVE. «OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SOULS OF OUR MARTYRS AND THE MUTILATED BODIES OF THE QANA CHILDREN BURIED UNDER THE RUBBLE WE SCREAM TO ALL LEBANESE, ARABS AND APPEAL TO THE CONSCIENCE OF HUMANITY THE WORLD OVER TO STAND UNITED BY US IN THE FACE OF THE ISRAELI WAR CRIMINALS,» SANIORA SAID. «THERE IS NO PLACE AT THIS SAD MOMENT FOR ANY DISCUSSIONS OTHER THAN AN IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL CEASE-FIRE AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ISRAELI MASSACRES IN LEBANON NOW,» HE TOLD REPORTERS.
