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Bush to Press Israel to Spare Civilians NewsMax.com Wires ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- President Bush told Lebanon's leader on Friday that he would urge Israel to limit civilian casualties as it steps up attacks on its neighbor, a promise that fell short of Beirut's calls for a cease-fire. "President Bush affirmed his readiness to put pressure on Israel to limit the damage to Lebanon as a result of the current military action, and to spare civilians and innocent people from harm," said a statement from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's office. The White House confirmed that Bush called the Lebanese leader, but would provide no details of the discussion. Bush's conversation with Saniora as he flew here from Germany was part of a round of telephone diplomacy aimed at quelling the flare-up in violence in the Mideast. The president also spoke with allies Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II about the violence in their neighborhood, the White House said. The president arrived here Friday for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a weekend summit of industrial powers. Israel's attacks on Lebanon and the counterattacks on Israel were sure to be heavy discussion topics - on an issue where Bush is at odds with some of his allies. The Mideast crisis threatened to dash Bush's hopes to see the G-8 summit yield a united stand against Iran's nuclear ambitions and North Korea's long-range missile test. Russia, the host of the Group of Eight summit, and France, another summit nation, have criticized the Israeli attacks. But Bush has offered a strong defense for Israel's right to defend itself, even as he has said he worries the offensive could weaken or topple the fragile democratic government in Beirut. Story Continues Below
Saniora "urged President Bush to exert all his efforts to pressure Israel to halt its aggression on Lebanon, reach a comprehensive cease-fire and lift the blockade imposed on it," the statement from Saniora's office said. Egypt's official news agency said that Bush and Mubarak "tackled ways to contain the current exploding situation on the Lebanese stage." As the leaders conferred, Israeli war planes bombed Beirut's airport Friday for a second day, along with southern suburbs of the capital. Hezbollah militants have fired hundreds of rockets at northern Israel. Dozens of Lebanese and at least 10 Israelis have been killed. Hezbollah is an the Iranian-backed militant Shiite faction which has a free hand in southern Lebanon and also holds seats in parliament. The Lebanese government has no control over Hezbollah but has long resisted international pressure to forcibly disarm the group for fears of igniting sectarian conflict. At the same time, Israeli forces have been pounding the Gaza Strip to the south since shortly after the June 25 taking of an Israeli soldier by militants linked to the Palestinian Hamas group. In St. Petersburg, Bush's first stop was a monument honoring those who defended Leningrad - the Soviet name for the city - during the 900-day World War II siege. More than half a million people died, most of hunger. Bush and his wife, Laura, walked slowly toward the tall obelisk inscribed with the dates of the siege before two high-stepping soldiers bearing a large wreath. With the flowers laid at the base, they paused for a long moment of silence. In what amounted to a gentle statement about democratic backsliding under Putin's leadership, Bush went from there to sit down with 17 representatives from civil society groups whom he called "young, vibrant Russian activists who loved their country" but who also are concerned about human conditions there. The president said he planned to convey some of their worries directly to Putin. "I assured them the United States of America cares about the form of government in Russia," Bush told reporters afterward. "I hope I was encouraging for them. It was instructive to me." But, reflecting Bush's stated promise to chide Putin respectfully and in private, he said he also reminded the activists that "the United States took a while to evolve." The highlight of the president's first day here was dinner with Putin at the opulent 18th century Konstantin Palace, the luxurious venue Putin chose for the Group of Eight meetings. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Bush was certain to discuss the Israeli-Lebanon situation with the Russian leader and the other G-8 nations: Germany, Britain France, Italy, Japan and Canada. Rice told reporters it seemed likely those countries would issue a statement on the rising violence in the Middle East. She said a three-person team sent by the United Nations to the region should get a chance to try to defuse the crisis. At the same time, Rice added, "We don't want to send confusing signals. The too many cooks in the kitchen is one we want to avoid." Bush and Putin meet as U.S. and Russian negotiators try to conclude a deal to let Russia join the World Trade Organization. The presidents could announce it as early as Saturday. But while officials announced a breakthrough in banking, officials said U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Russian Economics Minister German Gref continued working Friday on a number of other sticking points. "There is no resolution at this point," said Sean Spicer, Schwab's spokesman. Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president, said the White House understands the Russian desire to have an announcement during Bush's visit, but that they weren't quite there yet.
© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's note: Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
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