Syria blasts US rejection of immediate cease-fire

Syria's foreign minister described as "totally unacceptable" the United States' refusal to support calls for an immediate cease-fire in the Mideast conflict, according to an interview published Sunday. Rather than urge a quick truce, Washington has pressed for a settlement that addresses enduring issues between Lebanon and Israel and disables Hizbullah, whose capture of two IDF soldiers triggered the crisis. "This position is totally unacceptable," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem was quoted as telling the weekly Der Spiegel. "At the moment, what is important is the saving of human lives, and not whether Israel or Hizbullah can realize their war aims."