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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Foreign Office minister Kim Howells has criticized <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>'s bombardment of <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region>, while on a visit to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Beirut</st1:place></st1:City>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>He said <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>
had not carried out "surgical strikes" and attacking the Lebanese
nation was not the answer. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Downing Street said the prime minister would stand by Mr
Howell's comments, adding the British government had "always urged
restraint on <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>".
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Meanwhile thousands of people across the <st1:country-region
w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region> are joining demonstrations against Israeli
attacks on <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I very much hope that the Americans understand what's
happening to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Speaking in <st1:City w:st="on">Beirut</st1:City>, Mr
Howells said: "I very much hope that the Americans understand what's
happening to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"The destruction of the infrastructure, the death of so
many children and so many people. These have not been surgical strikes. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"And it's very very difficult I think to understand the
kind of military tactics that have been used. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>"You know, if they're chasing Hezbollah, then go for
Hezbollah. You don't go for the entire Lebanese nation." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Mr Howells said attempts were being made to engage with all
parties and a demand for an immediate ceasefire would be a "meaningless
gesture". <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I very much hope that the Americans understand what's
happening to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Responding to Mr Howells' criticisms of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1:place>, Tony Blair's official
spokesman said the prime minister would "not be unhappy about [Mr
Howell's] comments at all". <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>He said people would always "express themselves in
different ways, using different words". <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>…<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>(BBC News)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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