WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice intends to travel to the Middle East as early as next week to press for a political solution to reduce fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, her spokesman said overnight.
The aim of the trip was "to address the tactical situation but also to try to address the root causes and bring about a strategic change", State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
Rice's plans for a trip to the region have been announced but until now there has been no official indication of when she would travel.
On Thursday, Hizbollah fought Israeli troops on the Lebanese border, as thousands more foreigners fled the nine-day-old war in Lebanon, including 1000 Americans evacuated by US Marines.
The United States appears increasingly isolated in refusing to pressure Israel, its top Middle East ally, for a cease-fire in a war that has killed many civilians.
Unlike the United Nations and key European allies that want a cease-fire as soon as possible, the United States stresses the need for what it calls a "durable" solution to the crisis before any cease-fire can be implemented.
Otherwise, US officials say, the potential for conflict would always be present despite a temporary halt in the violence.
- REUTERS
US's Rice to visit Middle East 'next week'
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