U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (left) with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan prior to meeting on Lebanon (epa)
July 26, 2006 -- A 15-nation international conference on the conflict in Lebanon today failed to reach any agreement on a cease-fire but did call for a truce.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the group also agreed on the need for an international force to be deployed to the Middle East.
Rice said the force should have a UN mandate and "a strong and robust capability to help bring about peace, to help provide the ability for humanitarian efforts to go forward and to bring an end to the violence."
Rice said there would be talks on that force in the coming days.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called for implementation of UN resolutions that include disarming the militant group Hizballah.
Annan also said the solution to the crisis should involve Iran and Syria.
(Reuters, AFP, AP)