US ambassador in Beirut: Violence in the south should stop

The new US ambassador to Lebanon, David Satterfield, has expressed his country's deep concern over the situation in south Lebanon. He asserted the need to find a way to put an end to what he had called "violence" in South Lebanon so as to ensure security for all sides.

In a statement to the Lebanese daily al-Nahar issued on Tuesday, the US ambassador added, "We want to see all sides concerned taking steps that may lead to such a solution. We think this will be in the interest of all these sides. We will continue our efforts towards this objective."

He added that such a solution would be a tangible step in supporting negotiations on the Syrian-Israeli track. He added that any progress on "the Syrian track" would help the situation in south Lebanon.