"We have been thinking about this (visit) for a while. We had to pick the right moment. We needed to have a government to deal with," said a US official traveling with Rice.

The surprise visit comes just days after the formation of Lebanon's post-Syria government, which includes Hizbollah member Mohammed Fneish as energy minister.

Rice flew in under secrecy due to security fears, in particular due to the three politically motivated assassinations that took place in Lebanon this year. Journalists traveling with Rice were banned from reporting on her visit until she arrived.

Security concerns were visible during Rice's visit. Vans in her motorcade repeatedly swerved, changing position apparently to ensure Rice's vehicles was always surrounded to help shield her from any attack.

At one point a van peeled off from the motorcade and a security official leaned out of the window pointing his rifle to ward off a car that had overtaken the rear part of her group. The civilian car quickly slowed down

"This will be an opportunity first of all to congratulate the Lebanese people on their desire for democracy and the fact that they keep pressing forward, and have formed a government," Rice told reporters aboard her plane en route to Lebanon.

"I look forward to meeting some of the members of the government to see how the international community and the United States in particular can be supportive."

Upon arrival, Rice and her massive motorcade first visited the home of Saad Hariri, son of slain former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri who was assassinated in a February bomb blast on the Beirut seafront. Together, they paid their respects to the late Premier at his grave in the courtyard of Al Amin Mosque in Downtown Beirut.

Rice was also scheduled to meet the newly appointed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, President Emile Lahoud, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and former exiled General Michel Aoun during her brief visit. Rice is proposing an international conference to share ideas about how to spur Lebanon's economy.

The US official said Rice would not meet Hizbollah minister Fneish and that the United States would have not contact "certainly on this trip," but added: "We will see how it goes in the future." He added that Rice had waited to see how much of the government included Hizbollah before deciding to this trip, noting the energy minister was not key to bilateral relations and added "we don't expect to be having any interaction with the Hizbollah minister."

Rice and pro-Syrian President Lahoud smiled and shook hands before the meeting, but did not speak to reporters. A senior State Department official said Siniora represented the new Lebanon and Lahoud the old.

At the United Nations in New York Thursday, the United States called on Lebanon's new government to fully implement UN Resolution 1559 calling for disarming Hizbollah's militia and accused Syria of continued meddling in Lebanese affairs.

"We urge the new Lebanese government to move toward full implementation of UNSCR 1559, including militia disarmament," US delegate William Brencick said during a Security Council debate.

Hezbollah and other armed groups in Lebanon should be disbanded with the government extending its authority throughout the country, the State Department said Thursday.

US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said, independent armed militia "are not a recipe for success and do not contribute to stability" in Lebanon.

But a former U.S. ambassador to Syria, Theodore Kattouf, said any Lebanese government that tried to disarm Hezbollah would collapse.

"I think Hezbollah should be disarmed," Kattouf said. "But I don't think we should bludgeon Lebanon as its first order of business."

Sources: Ya Libnan, , AP, Reuters