Israeli-Lebanese War
by Tim
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Today, after 22 days of war, Hezbollah fired at record breaking 230 rockets into Israel. This comes despite Ehud Olmert's assertion during an interview the same day that:
Today in New York, the United States buckled to the French, by agreeing to a Security Council resolution calling for a "cessation of hostilities" before beginning discussion on a second resolution detailing an eventual cease-fire and the deployment of a multi-national peacekeeping force. This come after days of wrangling and a French refusal to attend any meeting at the UN to discuss the composition of a possible international force. As the British Prime Minister comes under increasing pressure at home to distance and distinguish himself on the world stage from US President Bush, Tony Blair gave tacit criticism of American policy in the Middle East. Expected to lead whatever force does take shape, this is all the French needed to seize the upper hand away from the Americans, whose position and credibility in the region were already severely weakened by the growing violence in Iraq.
Meanwhile, as the tortoise of diplomacy lumbers forward, the death toll continues to climb. In Lebanon there have been at least 548 confirmed deaths (though the actual number may be closer to 750), of which 477 were civilians. In Israel 55 people have been killed, 19 of whom were civilians.
... Hezbollah has been disarmed by the military operation of Israel to a large degree. That can't be measured only by the number of missiles that they still shoot. The infrastructure of Hezbollah has been entirely destroyed.For Olmert to make such a brazen statement is a sign of the intense political pressure he feels both internally to win, and internationally to finish up. Unfortunately, Israel has yet to achieve either of their stated strategic goals in the fight against Hezbollah (liberation of the two hostage soldiers and the cessation of rocket fire into Israel). Furthermore today's events at the UN illustrate the widening gap between the Israeli position and that of the Security Council.
Today in New York, the United States buckled to the French, by agreeing to a Security Council resolution calling for a "cessation of hostilities" before beginning discussion on a second resolution detailing an eventual cease-fire and the deployment of a multi-national peacekeeping force. This come after days of wrangling and a French refusal to attend any meeting at the UN to discuss the composition of a possible international force. As the British Prime Minister comes under increasing pressure at home to distance and distinguish himself on the world stage from US President Bush, Tony Blair gave tacit criticism of American policy in the Middle East. Expected to lead whatever force does take shape, this is all the French needed to seize the upper hand away from the Americans, whose position and credibility in the region were already severely weakened by the growing violence in Iraq.
Meanwhile, as the tortoise of diplomacy lumbers forward, the death toll continues to climb. In Lebanon there have been at least 548 confirmed deaths (though the actual number may be closer to 750), of which 477 were civilians. In Israel 55 people have been killed, 19 of whom were civilians.
posted at 2:07 PM
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