WASHINGTON - The tentative date for U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to the region is this Sunday, sources in Washington said yesterday. However, they added, her departure could be delayed if the situation warrants it. The Bush administration is apparently sticking to its decision to allow Israel to complete its military operation before the international community imposes a cease-fire, and Danny Ayalon, Israel's ambassador to the United States, told the media yesterday that the time is not yet ripe for Rice's visit. Rice, whose intent to come sometime soon was confirmed by the Sate Department on Monday, will visit both Beirut and Jerusalem. She also plans to meet - in a four-way summit - with the foreign ministers of the Arab states that oppose Hezbollah's attacks on Israe, primarily Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The venue for that four-way summit is not definite, but may be Cairo.
However, the U.S. has yet to formulate its position on the various ideas that have been broached for ending the fighting. In particular, it has not yet decided whether to support the stationing of an international force on the Israeli-Lebanese border.