Washington - The US State Department Tuesday flatly rejected claims by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he intervened at the last minute to prevent Washington from backing a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack could not confirm the accuracy of Olmert's reported comments, but denied Olmert influenced Rice's decision to abstain on the resolution that was approved by a 14-0 vote on the Security Council Friday.
"What I can tell you is that the quotes as reported are wholly inaccurate as to describing the situation, just 100 percent, totally, completely not true," McCormack said.
The United States was the only member of the 15-nation council that did not vote in favour of the resolution. Rice has said she abstained because she wanted to give an Egyptian initiative to end the fighting more time and that it was "premature" to move forward on the resolution, even though the United States agreed on its contents.
Olmert, speaking to reporters on Monday, said he personally interrupted Bush, who was busy at a speaking engagement, to persuade him to order Rice against backing the ceasefire resolution.
"We saw that the secretary of state for reasons that I don't understand wanted to support the UN proposal and we didn't want her to vote in favour," Olmert said.
"I said, 'I don't care, I need to talk to him now'," Olmert recalled saying when told Bush was occupied. Olmert said when he reached Bush on the phone he told him the United States cannot support the resolution.
"And (Bush) gave an order to the secretary of state and she didn't vote in favour," Olmert said.
McCormack said the United States had planned all along on not vetoing a resolution once it had been agreed to by the rest of the Security Council. McCormack confirmed that prior to abstaining, Rice had spoken with Bush and national security adviser Stephen Hadley.
"That somehow she was turned around on this issue is 100 per cent completely untrue," he said.
The United States had not formally placed a request with the Israeli government to clarify Olmert comments, McCormack said.
"The Israeli government - if they ever feel it necessary - they will clarify, correct the record, whatever. I don't know," he said.
