UK reverses stance, follows US in calling for ceasefire in Lebanon
Lebanon-Israel-UK, Politics, 7/24/2006

The British government today followed the US in echoing the need for an "urgent" end to the Israeli onslaught in Lebanon.

For nearly two weeks, UK ministers have refused to call for a ceasefire and condemn Israel's blitzkrieg attacks despite demands by opposition parties, backbench MPs and peace groups.

But speaking in an interview with BBC Radio Four's Today program Monday, Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells insisted that the UK government had "always wanted the earliest possible cessation of violence." There was "needless carnage" on the streets, Howells said in an interview from Jordan after visiting Lebanon and Israel over the weekend.

His call came after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reversed her previous position in calling for an "urgent" need for a ceasefire.

"It is very important to establish conditions under which a ceasefire can take place. It is important to have conditions that will make it also sustainable," Rice said enroute to the Middle East.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has been under growing pressure to take a tougher stance with Israel over its indiscriminate bombing of Lebanese civilian targets, including from Labour MP Andrew Love, chair of the all-party parliamentary Lebanon group.

"You cannot have attacks on civilian infrastructure, over 370 people die, without that being a disproportionate response to what has happened in the Middle East, and I think the prime minister needs to say that," Love said.

On Saturday, Howells also become the first British cabinet minister to harshly criticize Israel's bombardments, saying that it was "very difficult" to understand its military tactics.

"The destruction of the infrastructure, the death of so many children and so many people. These have not been surgical strikes," Howells said. Speaking in Beirut, he also said he very much hoped the "Americans understand what's happening to Lebanon." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell on Sunday welcomed Howells' condemnation but criticized the way ministers had refused to call for a ceasefire.

"I simply cannot believe a Labor government finding itself at odds with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, calling for a ceasefire in these circumstances," Campbell said.

The Conservative's shadow foreign secretary William Hague also said the British government, saying it "should not be afraid" to criticize Israel.

"Our position in international affairs may often be linked to that of the United States but it does not have to be identical to it," Hague said in an article for the Sunday Telegraph.

Previous Stories:
  US holds Lebanon hostage to gain levarage with Syria   (7/20/2006)
  UK Archbishop condemns Israel's destruction of Lebanon   (7/20/2006)
  German party: Israeli acts are barbarism in Lebanon and Gaza   (7/20/2006)
  500 thousand Lebanese displaced by Israel's aggression   (7/20/2006)
  MPs condemn Blair's failure to insist on Israeli ceasefire   (7/20/2006)
  Israel continues aggression on Lebanon   (7/18/2006)
  Merkel spokesman dismisses Jewish group's criticism   (7/18/2006)
  British Muslims condemn London's silence on Israeli war crimes   (7/18/2006)
  UN official: we come to Lebanon to declare our solidarity   (7/17/2006)
  Mubarak: Israel will fail by its mistake   (7/17/2006)
  US blocking UNSC action on Israel over Lebanon aggression   (7/17/2006)
  German Minister : bombing civilians and civilian installations completely unacceptable   (7/17/2006)
  Norway condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon   (7/14/2006)
  Lahoud stresses unity against Israel's aggressions   (7/14/2006)
  EU Presidency: Israel blockade of Lebanon against international law   (7/14/2006)

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