U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan

On Aug. 28 the U.N. chief was in Lebanon on the first leg of an 11-day Mideast tour that would take him to Israel, as well as to Syria and Iran -- Hezbollah's main benefactors.

In Libya, Annan pressed Hezbollah to release two Israeli soldiers, whose July 12 capture started the 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war, and called on Israel to lift its sea and air blockade of Lebanon.

The Japan Times Weekly: Sept. 2, 2006
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