Minister Gives Ground on Ceasefire Policy

The Foreign Office minister Kim Howells conceded for the first time yesterday that it might have been better for Britain to have called for an immediate ceasefire during the 34-day Lebanon war.

Tony Blair and the foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, were heavily criticised during the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah for repeatedly refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire, in line with George Bush.

Questioned by the Commons foreign affairs committee, Mr Howells initially stood by that line, saying it was feared a temporary ceasefire would have allowed both sides to rest before re-engaging and the British government wanted a ceasefire that stood a chance of lasting.

But later Ken Purchase, the Labour MP, told him: "It beggars belief that we could not have called simultaneously for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds, while recognising it was necessary to get a longer-term solution."

Mr Howells replied: "I'm not saying ... that a dual approach might not have worked. I'm not saying that. I'm not dismissing that at all. Maybe it would have worked.

"What I am saying is we had to take decisions at the time based on what we knew and what intelligence we had.

"That's why we took those decisions. They were taken in absolute good faith - not in complicity with the Americans or anyone else."

A senior Israeli army officer, Major-General Udi Adam, the head of Northern Command, resigned yesterday, the first high-ranking figure to quit in the political fallout after the war. Another general was appointed over his head in the middle of the conflict.

The German government approved plans yesterday to send up to 2,400 naval and air force troops to Lebanon for the UN peacekeeping force.