An Australian Perspective, Slow road to diplomacy

An Australian Perspective: Slow road to diplomacy
Reporting in Australia

AS US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew to the Middle East yesterday expectations were low that diplomacy would deliver a swift halt to the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Prime Minister John Howard said Australia would consider any requests to send peacekeepers to the troubled region but warned the conflict would continue while Israel was attacked.

"There will not be a solution to this conflict until every part of the Arab world accepts the right of Israel to exist," Mr Howard said.


The US resisted calls for an immediate ceasefire, saying the cessation of hostilities has to address the root causes of the conflict, which Washington blames on Hezbollah and its allies, Syria and Iran.

Israel said it would back a temporary international force in southern Lebanon to ensure Hezbollah is removed from the border and to take control of Lebanon's border-crossing with Syria.

Dr Rice is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, before discussing the crisis with European and Arab officials meeting in Rome on Wednesday.

She is not expected to meet officials from Syria or Hezbollah during her visit.

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Re: Mosque Basement
With absolutely no disrespect to the 'Religion of Peace' , why is it when questioned about the Mosque, officials claimed that the 'under construction' Mosque's basement was 'only full of Korans and Prayer mats', is this usual practice to fill the basement with Korans whilst it is still under construction? Wouldn't that in itself be disrespectful, or are we just being given another version of convient Hizbollah reporting?

The outrage, it was full of Korans, covered in dust and laying idly when they could have been put to use somewhere else....

I do wonder what the basement was actually full of, but I know what the Mosque official was full of.

Reference:
Daily Telegraph: Slow road to diplomacy

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