BEIRUT,
May 3 (Islamonline.net & News Agencies) - U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell denounced "anti-Israeli" groups Saturday, May
3, and called for the Lebanese army to end Hezbollah's presence on the
Israeli border.
Powell
also said the Syrian authorities had told him during meetings in
Damascus that they had closed the offices of some of the so called
militant anti-Israeli groups demanded by the United States, reported
Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"We
have emphasized strongly our concern about the continuing terrorist
activities of Hezbollah in the region and around the world"
Powell said at the end of a one-day visit to Syria and Lebanon, which
are seen by some observers as major backers of militant anti-Israeli
groups.
"We
have emphasized as well the importance of maintaining calm along the
southern border of Lebanon. It is time we believe for the Lebanese
army to deploy to the border and end the armed Hezbollah militia
presence.
Responding
to a question on whether the Syrians had acted to close the offices in
Damascus of these groups, Powell said: "They did closures."
"I
expect them to do more with respect to the access and appearances of
various officials of these organizations. We provided some other
suggestions to the Syrians which they are taking under advisement and
I expect to hear back from them."
Powell
also emphasized Washington's commitment to an independent Lebanon, in
reference to U.S. support for the more than 20,000 Syrian troops still
stationed in Lebanon to pull out.
"The
United States supports an independent and prosperous Lebanon, free of
all, all foreign forces. Lebanon has great potential to be a model for
democracy and free trade in the region."
Asked
about the prospect of a major Middle East peace conference, Powell
said it would take place "in due course when circumstances
permit" and said the United States "was mindful of all the
appropriate UN resolutions".
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‘Neither
Syria nor Lebanon will make concessions to the U.S.,’ Lahoud
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"Our
commitment is firm and unmistakable, we want to see a Palestinian
state created as soon as is possible" he added.
"The
President's vision was for three years from the time he gave his
speech" on Middle East policy in June 2002, Powell said, adding
"we've got to get going."
"I
think we now have a moment where we can get going, with the delivery
of the roadmap, with Mr. Abu Mazen in place as the prime minister of
the Palestinian Authority" and with backing from international
and regional states, notably in stopping "terrorist and violent
activity."
Powell
who left Lebanon after a whistle stop, has met, before heading back to
Washington his Lebanese counterpart Jean Obeid and held talks with
Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri and the
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud who said that neither Lebanon nor
Syria will make concessions to the United States.
"Lebanon
and Syria are determined not to bend to any demand that does not
satisfy the peoples of the two countries and assure their vital
interests" Lahoud was quoted as saying, AFP reported.
If
Washington wants to resort to "applying the 'logic of force' then
the visit of Powell is pointless, because threats do not need visits
and can be communicated directly by telephone." Yet Lebanon is
"ready for dialogue on the basis of the 'logic of law'"
Lahoud added.
This
came hours after Israel gunned down a freelance British television
journalist while filming demolition of Palestinian houses in the
southern town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
The
developments also came 2 days after some 60 Israeli armored vehicles,
including tanks and bulldozers backed by helicopter gunship stormed a
densely populated Gaza City area, cordoned off a four-storey building
and massacred 13 Palestinians, including a two-year-old toddler and
two teenagers, just to kill a “wanted” Hamas activist.
The
United States has always described Lebanon as being politically
dominated by its more powerful neighbor (Syria).
Powell
was hoping to win Syrian and Lebanese support for the internationally
drafted Middle East peace "roadmap" unveiled Wednesday by
Washington
