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Kofi Annan to Ehud Olmert: End the Blockade

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan continues his Middle East tour in Israel on Wednesday. Atop his agenda is trying to get Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to end the air and sea blockade of Lebanon. Although he termed Israel’s blockade a "humiliation and infringement on [Lebanese] sovereignty," Annan seemingly acknowledged Israel’s reason for maintaining the blockade until an international force that can prevent arms smuggling from Syria is in place. Following talks on Tuesday with Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz, Annan said that, "with the French deployment moving forward and with the Italians beginning on Friday…we should be able to double relatively quickly the 2,500 men we have on the ground and move up to 5,000 so that the Israelis can withdraw." Annan met with families of the Israeli soldiers being held by Hizbullah and Hamas. The wife of one missing soldier told Israel Radio that Annan "is personally undertaking the "mission to bring the three kidnapped soldiers home."