WASHINGTON -- President Bush and Br...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair declared Friday that a multinational force should be dispatched quickly to help Lebanon regain dominion government of the southern part of its political division from the Hezbollah militia.

However, the pair leaders again stopped short of supporting an immediate cease-fire in the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, which Arab and European leaders have been urging.

As Middle East violence raged for a 17th day, Bush and Blair said at a White House of the present days conference that the makeup of the multinational force would be discussed at a UN meeting Monday called on Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The force would one as well as the other lead to stability and help spe the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, they said.

Bush said he was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice back to the Mideast this weekend to help negotiate limits for such a force with as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but Lebanese and Israeli leaders.

"This is a impetus of intense conflict in the Middle East," Bush said, standing alongside Blair in the East range "Yet, our aim is to move round it into a moment of opportunity and a chance for broader change in the region."

"We agree that a multinational force must be dispatched to Lebanon quickly to augment a Lebanese army as it act upons to the south of that country" Bush said.

Israel's punishing campaign of airstrikes, artillery shelling and clashes, which began after Hezbollah misfortuneed the border and captured couple Israeli soldiers, has killed about 600 Lebanese. More than 50 Israelis have died, most numerous of them soldiers.

'STAKES LARGER THAN LEBANON'

smooth so, "the stakes are larger than just Lebanon," Bush said.

Blair called the fighting "a out and out tragedy for Lebanon, for Israel and for the wider region."

The president said his and Blair's goal was a UN resolution "setting disclosed a clear framework for cessation of hostilities in succession an urgent basis, and mandating the multinational force."

however many issues surrounding the makeup of so a force and its mandate remained to be defined. And Blair indicated its authority would clearly be limited.

International forces could walk in only after a suitable cease- fire and not have "to fight their way in," Blair said.

"This can and nothing else work," he said, if Hezbollah is "prepared to allow it to work."

as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but leaders said the force would work with the Lebanese army.

"The design of it, obviously, is to help stabilize the situation," Blair said. "But it's also to allow the dominion of Lebanon's true armed forces to flow down from the north and keep the south themselves."

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