SAME OLD STATE DEPARTMENT

I'M BEGINNING TO LONG FOR THE DAYS OF COLIN POWELL!

U.S. asks Israel to withdraw from land claimed by Lebanon
The Bush administration is pressing Israel to withdraw from a sliver of territory claimed by Lebanon. Officials said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the case for Israeli withdrawal from Shebaa during her trip to Israel earlier this month. After meeting Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on July 22, Ms.Rice made an unscheduled one-day visit to Beirut to meet Siniora and express support for Lebanon in wake of the Syrian military withdrawal.

Lebanese officials said the administration has assured the new government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora that the United States would urge Israel to withdraw from the Shebaa Plateau. The area was captured by Israel in the 1967 war and the United Nations regards the area as Syrian territory, Middle East Newsline reported.

"Washington sees the Shebaa Plateau as containing the potential of another Middle East crisis and the main excuse for Hizbullah's continued presence," a Lebanese official said. "We have been given the impression that results could be expected over the next year."

YO, CONDI: THE "MAIN EXCUSE" FOR HIZBULLAH'S CONTINUED PRESENCE IS IT'S DESIRE TO KILL JEWS AND DESTROY ISRAEL.