Rice calls for peace based on enduring principles

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Israel on Monday for talks about the ongoing fight between Israel and Hizbullah guerrillas in Lebanon, saying that she was looking for a sustainable peace. The United States has not yet pushed for Israel to halt its offensive in Lebanon, saying that it did not support a deal that would leave Hizbullah guerrillas on Israel's border. "Every peace has to be based on enduring principles," Rice said, speaking to the media before she met with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. "Ultimately, a Middle East that is peaceful and democratic will be a place where peace is sustainable," she said. Rice flew to Israel after making a surprise visit to Beirut. "We are concerned about the humanitarian situation," she said. "And nobody wants to see when innocent civilians are harmed."