Rice Pushes Middle East Peace, Defends Iraq Effort

Aug. 6, 2006 — -- Appearing on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sounded an optimistic tone, asserting that the nearly month-long violence between Israel and Lebanon may soon subside in the wake of a cease-fire plan forged by the United Nations.

"This is a good first step by the international community," Rice told ABC News. "It will be a very good first step by Israel and Lebanon," she added. However, when pressed by ABC News' chief Washington correspondent, George Stephanopoulos as to whether the warring parties would accept a UN-sponsored peace, Rice insisted, "Let's vote the resolution and then there's going to be an obligation by Israel and Lebanon to obey the resolution."

Nabih Berri, Lebanon's parliament speaker, has expressed concerns with the cease-fire resolution. Still, Rice seemed undeterred by Berri's reticence, saying, "I think that the differences here are really not very great." She added, "Obviously, Israel would have liked to see other things in this resolution. Obviously, Lebanon would have liked to see other things in this resolution." Rice emphasized the importance of taking steps to stop the fighting. "This represents the international community's view of how this violence can abate," she said.

'The Best First Step'

Rice predicted a United Nations vote on the resolution would occur within "a couple of days at the very latest" and said a resolution must proceed "so that we can move to the next step which is bringing in an (international) force." Of the resolution, Rice concluded, "This is the best first step toward ending this conflict."

At a press conference following a round of Sunday morning talk show appearances, Rice emphasized that if either Lebanon or Israel rejects the U.N. effort, "then we'll see who's for peace and who isn't."

On "This Week," Rice primarily expressed concerns over Lebanon's ability to restrain the militant group Hezbollah. The secretary recalled that the violence began when Hezbollah, "acting as a state within a state" fired on Israel without the central government's knowledge. "Lebanon needs to extend its authority south," Rice declared.

Following a week of dramatic events in Iraq, top Pentagon officials and congressional leaders acknowledged growing concern over the increasing violence in the country. In a Senate Armed Services Hearing, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of military operations in Iraq, admitted sectarian violence had reached a new peak, increasing the danger of civil war.

Secretary Rice deflected those comments, telling ABC News, "I'm not going to deal with a hypothetical." She played down Gen. Abizaid's comments, noting, "He didn't say they're sliding toward civil war," and added, "The Iraqi people and the Iraqi government have not made a choice for civil war."

"The circumstances are very difficult," Rice admitted, but added, "it would be really erroneous to say that the Iraqis are making a choice for civil war or, I think, even sliding into civil war."

"Yes, the sectarian violence is higher than it's ever been," Rice told Stephanopoulos, before concluding, "The Iraqis need to get a handle on that."