Rice Conveys U.S. Support to New Lebanese Government

Calls on Syria to remove intelligence forces, open border to trade

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced visit to Lebanon July 22 to convey the United States' support to the newly selected government of Prime Minister-designate Fouad Seniora and to urge all parties to implement the provisions of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 that call for the removal of all foreign forces from Lebanese territory and the disbanding of all militias.

After meeting with Seniora, Rice told reporters she traveled to Lebanon “to support the new Lebanon, and the new Lebanon is one that is democratic, the new Lebanon is one that should be free of foreign influence.”

She stressed that Resolution 1559 calls for the removal of all Syrian forces, including intelligence forces. She also urged Syria to open its borders for trade.

Rice said that the United States is prepared to support the new Lebanese government as it undertakes economic and political reforms and that the international community will welcome the changes taking place in Lebanon.

“I think that [Lebanon] is going to find an international system that is very strongly committed to a Lebanon that is free of violence, that is free of terrorism, that is unified and the Lebanon where all people of Lebanon feel represented and safe,” she said.

Rice called the political process under way in Lebanon “a wonderful breakthrough for the Lebanese people.”

The transcript of Rice’s remarks

Source: International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State

Popular posts from this blog

Netherlands and Canada's ICJ Torture Case Against Syria: A New Era of International Indictment of Sovereign Governments' National Crimes

Image
Netherlands' torture and other ill-treatment case against Syria at the International Court of Justice opens a new chapter in the international order and practice. Although our previous experience with the international order and the international institutions, especially in the Syrian crisis, lets almost no room for any expectations for this case to end torture in Syria or to achieve any difference in the course of action of the Syrian regime, it definitely can lay the foundation for this end by the international documentation, indictment and recognition of these domestic crimes.   In general, this unprecedented ICJ case has a particular international importance as It has a real chance to prompt a beginning of some international system development in terms of the international responsibility and role concerning ill-governance, which is generally fenced by the norm of sovereignty, especially in terms of systematic practice of torture and other kindes of ill-treatment by ...
Read more

The French Arrest Warrants for Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria: A Precedent with Key Questions

Image
In an unprecedented development, the French judiciary has issued an international arrest warrants for the chemical weapons attacks performed by the Syrian government (regime) against civilians during the Syria war. The warrants target three top Syrian officials including the Syrian president.  Here is all you need to know about the first international (non-ICC) arrest warrant of a sitting head of another state for a grave crime against humanity and/or war crime by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) .  This international precedent is stating that no sovereign impunity for grave crimes against humanity, as clearly indicated by the issuing judiciary, prompts two questions. First, would it be a followed precedent marking a change in the int practice? And the second question, how the following practice will define the initiating grave crimes?  One explanatory enquiry should follow here is about whether the western powers that practically i...
Read more

Israel's Strategy in Syria: From Enabling Iran to Strategic Loss

Image
Seven months ago, I wrote about the failure of the Israeli policy in Syria, which poses Israel as a main regional loser in the aftermath of the war in Syria. This article has been followed by other articles describing the following changing balance in the Middle East between Israel and Iran to the benefit of Iran and the role of Israeli policies and its traditional strategy and means toward its regional strategic loss. Meanwhile, the Israeli government and intelligence establishment were in quite different place claiming even achievements in Syria as regards Iran's entrenchment there. The academia and research institutions were in-between. Recently, it came to my attention this article by Ehud Yaari, which is the ever best Israeli analysis I have read in months. Finally, there is some scholar in Israel has the realistic and true assessment of the situation in Syria and the Israeli policy there along with the strategic conclusion. This is definitely a useful work, as th...
Read more