Bush calls Siniora, Mubarak, Abdullah

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, July 14 (Reuters) US President George W Bush made a round of phone calls to West Asialeaders today as he sought to defuse a crisis between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

A senior Bush administration official said Bush called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordan's King Abdullah and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

The official had no details of the calls Bush made while flying aboard Air Force One from Germany to Russia, where he is to attend a Group of Eight summit.

Israel struck Beirut airport again today and bombed Lebanese roads, power supplies and communication networks in a widening campaign after Hizbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight.

In Beirut, Siniora's office said in a statement that Bush had assured the Lebanese leader he was pressing Israel to ''contain the damage'' to Lebanon and avoid civilian casualties. Siniora urged Bush to get Israel to halt its attack, agree to a ceasefire and lift a blockade.

Yesterday, Bush said Israel had a right to defend itself from Hizbollah rocket attacks and the abduction of Israeli soldiers.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later said Israel needed to show restraint while defending itself and that the Israelis understood this.

The new Middle East crisis is expected to come up at the weekend G8 summit and at separate talks Bush will hold with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow.

''We assume that all sides in conflict should immediately end their military action. That should be the starting point for resolving all other problems,'' Putin said today, speaking to an international group of teenagers.

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