'Condoleezza Rice lands in Beirut for talks'

Beirut (Lebanon), Jul 24: The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced visit today to bombed-out Beirut in a dramatic show of support for the Lebanese government.

Rice traveled by helicopter from nearby Cyprus under heavy security and chose the epicenter of the conflict with Israel to launch her Middle East trip aimed at averting full-scale war across the region.

A US official traveling with her said Rice planned to announce aid for Lebanon.

''The fact that we are going right into Beirut after all that has happened is a dramatic signal to Lebanon and to this government,'' said a senior State Department official traveling with Rice.

After meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, the head of Lebanon's first anti-Syrian government in nearly two decades, Rice will also hold talks with the speaker of parliament and a range of political leaders to discuss solutions to the crisis.

There were no plans to meet with Hizbollah, which has been involved in intense fighting with Israeli forces for nearly two weeks, resulting in the deaths of 372 in Lebanon and an Israeli death toll of 37.

Rice's motorcade sped through downtown Beirut under heavy guard and at high speed for her talks with Siniora.

Rice will then move on to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

REUTERS