Transatlantic Focus:
A U.S. Foreign Policy Newsletter

Special Edition: MIDDLE EAST

LEBANON

President Bush Welcomes France's Decision to Send Troops to Lebanon I welcome President Chirac's decision to send a total of 2000 troops to Lebanon and to continue to exercise leadership on the ground in enforcing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. This is an important step towards finalizing preparations to deploy the United Nations Interim Force of Lebanon. I applaud the decision of France, as well as the significant pledges from Italy and our other important allies. I encourage other nations to make contributions as well. We are working with the United Nations and our partners to ensure the rapid deployment of this force to help Lebanon's legitimate armed forces restore the sovereignty of its democratic government throughout the country and stop Hezbollah from acting as a state within a state. more

Bush Pledges $230 Million in U.S. Aid to Lebanon President Bush pledges the United States will increase its humanitarian and reconstruction aid to Lebanon to $230 million to help the country recover after weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Speaking at the White House August 21, Bush said the funds would help the Lebanese people return to their communities and rebuild their homes, restore infrastructure such as bridges and roads and rehabilitate schools in time for the beginning of the fall school year. more

Fact Sheet: United States Humanitarian, Reconstruction, and Security Assistance to Lebanon The U.S. Is Leading The International Effort To Bring Urgently Needed Humanitarian Relief To The People Of Lebanon.  more

United States Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Lebanon

A Path to Lasting Peace, Secretary Rice – Op-Ed. For the past month the United States has worked urgently to end the violence that Hezbollah and its sponsors have imposed on the people of Lebanon and Israel. At the same time, we have insisted that a truly effective cease-fire requires a decisive change from the status quo that produced this war. Last Friday we took an important step toward that goal with the unanimous passage of U.N. Resolution 1701. Now the difficult, critical task of implementation begins. more

Discussion on the Middle East Under Secretary for Political Affairs "Ask the White House" Online Forum Washington, DC August 18, 2006.Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns: Good afternoon. I am pleased we were able to reschedule this important discussion on the Middle East. As Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, I oversee the State Department's bureaus for Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Near East, South and Central Asia, the Western Hemisphere, International Organizations and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. I look forward to answering your questions. more

IRAN

Statement by Gonzalo Gallegos, Acting Spokesman August 23, 2006, Iranian Response to the P5+1 Package United Nations Security Council Resolution 1696 made clear the conditions Iran must meet regarding its nuclear program. Yesterday the Iranian government conveyed its response to the package of incentives provided on June 6 by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China. We acknowledge that Iran considers its response as a serious offer, and we will review it. The response, however, falls short of the conditions set by the Security Council, which require the full and verifiable suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities. We are consulting closely, including with other members of the Security Council, on next steps.

U.S. Says Iran's Response on Uranium Program Under U.N. Review Iran appears to have formally rejected the U.N. Security Council’s call for an immediate suspension of its uranium enrichment program, but U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said the council would study Tehran’s response before moving ahead with sanctions. “We will obviously study the Iranian response carefully, but we are also prepared, if it does not meet the terms set by the Perm 5 foreign ministers [China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States], to proceed here in the Security Council with economic sanctions,” Bolton told reporters in New York August 22. “If, on the other hand, the Iranians have chosen the path of cooperation, as we've said repeatedly, then a different relationship with the United States and the rest of the world is now possible.” more

Transatlantic Focus: A U.S. Foreign Policy Newsletter
is published and distributed by the Public Affairs Section of the United States Mission to NATO - Brussels.