US President George W. Bush (R) and British Prime Minister Tony Blair listen to questions from the media during a joint press conference at the White House yesterday. -Xinhua/AFP

US President George W. Bush said yesterday that he and visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair support to quickly deploy a multinational force in Lebanon.

"We agree that a multinational force must be dispatched to Lebanon quickly to augment a Lebanese army as it moves to the south of that country," Bush said at a joint press conference with Blair.

"An effective multinational force will help speed delivery of humanitarian relief, facilitate the return of displaced persons, and support the Lebanese government as it asserts full sovereignty over its territory and guards its borders," Bush said.