World press spotlights Rice visit

Newspapers across the world examine the visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Lebanon and Israel and look at its chances of bringing peace.

One Lebanese commentator characterises Ms Rice as Cinderella in search of her lost shoe, while another argues that the Israeli attacks are in Washington's interests.

Elsewhere, there is pessimism that the US wants or is able to put a stop to the fighting and some papers urge the international community to raise its voice louder.

RAUF SHAHURI IN LEBANON'S AL-ANWAR

The Cinderella of US diplomacy has arrived in the region in an urgent mission in search of her lost shoe, which is marked by the phrase: the new Middle East.

SAHAR BA'ASIRI IN LEBANON'S AL-NAHAR

Condoleezza Rice's visit to the region shows how central the ongoing war is to US interests. Crystallising the solution may be the most difficult mission as the Lebanon crisis is complicated.

BEN KASPIT IN ISRAEL'S MAARIV

Condoleezza Rice talks more and more about a "ceasefire"... The Americans are asking their Israeli colleagues what is the strategy? What are the updated objectives? What is the exit plan? The answers are not clear.

ZE'EV SCHIFF IN ISRAEL'S HAARETZ

US state department officials... argue that diplomacy should begin soon to create the conditions to keep Hezbollah from being able to recreate the situation that existed before the fighting started... The main goal of Condoleezza Rice's current trip is to prevent such a development.

EGYPT'S AL-AHRAM

The US is the most capable party under these circumstances to intervene effectively to stop the ongoing war in Lebanon as Washington has the greatest influence on Israel.

MUSIB NUAYMI IN IRAN'S AL-VEFAGH

The US administration has not concealed its delight and satisfaction with what Israel is doing. They even gave Israel a medal containing fresh quantities of guided missiles with higher destructive capability so that it completes its plan.

MELIH ASIK IN TURKEY'S MILLIYET

The US and Israel are getting ready for an attack on Iran. There are two powers that can threaten Israel by supporting Iran: Hamas and Hezbollah. Various excuses are being used to finish off these two organisations.

PAKISTAN'S EXPRESS

Israeli aggression against Lebanon, instead of ending, is spreading further... We say the aggression is just part of the American-Israeli agenda.

VIKTOR RUCHKIN IN RUSSIA'S KRASNAYA ZVEZDA

In spite of the world community's overwhelming view that Israel's action against Lebanon is not commensurate, the White House is not showing any impatience with the Israeli authorities.

LUKE MCILVEEN IN AUSTRALIA'S THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

The difficulty Rice faces in this week's mission is finding rational stakeholders to sit down at the negotiating table... How Rice plans to stop the snowballing violence in the short term is unclear, but an international force to bolster the fight against Hezbollah is one possibility.

CHINA DAILY

The crisis in the Middle East is a challenge for the international community, Israel's allies in particular. It needs to step in and guarantee the security of Israel and Lebanon. The political settlement should induce Hezbollah to return the two soldiers it seized.

UTUSAN MALAYSIA

We ought to realise that the Tel Aviv regime is a power based on terrorism and violence... Unfortunately, there is no other power which can counter the Israel-US alliance.

GERMANY'S DIE WELT

Condoleezza Rice's trip is not geared to mediating between the parties to the conflict, it is not a peace mission. It looks rather as if Washington has sent her to show its presence as a world power with a sense of responsibility - and to strengthen Israel's position once again.

FRANCE'S LE FIGARO

In modern diplomacy there is always a time for gestures for the benefit of the media and a time for serious, secret, political negotiation. Condoleezza Rice's visit falls into the first category.

SOUTH AFRICA'S BUSINESS DAY

Condoleezza Rice's visit to Beirut has raised hopes that the first steps might be taken toward putting a ceasefire in place... The international community needs to do all in its power to ensure that the carnage does not explode into a full-blown regional war.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.