She was driven straight from the airport to the Koreitem mansion where she extended condolences and held talks with Saad Hariri, leader of the majority in Lebanon's newly-elected parliament.

She was then driven in an armor-plated convoy to ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's grave in downtown Beirut's Martyrs Square, where she paid her respects to the fallen Lebanese leader. Hariri's son Saad accompanied her to the graveside visit.

She then held talks with President Lahoud at the Baabda Palace in what was seen as a confirmation that the Bush administration had accepted the extension of Lahoud's term by 3 years although it was brought about by Syrian pressure.

Rice then drove down to the Grand Serail where she held talks with Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and later headed to Ain el Tineh for talks with Speaker Nabih Berri.

Rice wound up her day-long conferences in Beirut by a meeting with Gen. Michel Aoun at the fortress-like embassy in suburban Aukar and then flew to the Palestinian territories, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported.



Rice's visit aimed to show support for Lebanon's new government, whose formation crowned months of political turmoil that saw the crumbling of Syria's long-time control and the withdrawal of its troops after a 29-year presence. The new government, named Tuesday, is the first in years to be dominated by opponents of Syria.

Ending Damascus' hold on Lebanon was a major U.S. goal. But the new government also includes for the first time ever a member of Hizbullah, which Washington considers a terrorist organization.

The United States has said it will not deal with Energy Minister Mohammed Fneish though his presence won't prevent contacts with the government as a whole.

Rice, who flew aboard a private plane from Israel for the previously unannounced visit, demanded Lebanon disarm Hizbullah in accordance with a United Nations resolution.

"There can be only one authority in a country, and in a democracy, there can be only one authority that is armed," Rice said in reference to the Syria- and Iran-backed Hizbullah.

"The new Lebanon is one that should be free of foreign influence... and it is one that does have international obligations that we fully expect to be carried out," she said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Fouad Seniora.

Seniora said Lebanon respects international legitimacy but said there has to be dialogue and "serious discussion" among the Lebanese in order to reach consensus on the issue of disarming Hizbullah. "This will require understanding and patience," he said.

U.N. Resolution 1559 http://www.lgic.org/en/help_1559.php passed last year that demanded a withdrawal of Syrian troops also called for the disarming of militias in Lebanon. The Lebanese leadership has rejected calls to disarm Hizbullah, saying it is a resistance movement against Israel, not a militia.

Rice chided Syria over tightening border controls that have all but halted cargo truck traffic from Lebanon, choking the country's only land route to the Arab world.

"We would like to see the day when there are good neighborly relations between Syria and Lebanon based on mutual respect and equality," Rice said. "But good neighbors don't close their borders to their neighbors."

"It is a very serious situation on the Lebanese border where Lebanese trade is being strangled," said Rice, expressing hope that free flow of commerce would be restored very soon.

Rice also pledged Washington's strong cooperation with the Beirut government and said: "I believe that we can support, both through international organizations and through direct support, the economic and political reforms that will be undertaken there."