Israel given license to kill:
The Israeli assault on Lebanon goes into its 8th day today and Lebanese PM Fuad Saniora has put the death toll from Israeli military action at 300, saying also, according to AP, that: "1,000 have been wounded and a half-million displaced." There's no doubt that the toll will go far higher as bodies are pulled out of the wreckage of buildings Israeli bombs have leveled.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration is apparently in no hurry to step in to put pressure on Israel to put an end to its remorseless attacks on innocent men, women and children. I've heard tell that the Israeli military always operates on two clocks; the military clock, which says how long they have to accomplish their objectives; and the diplomatic clock, which tells them how long they can expect to get away with what they're doing before the US says 'enough.' This time around it looks like Israeli generals have been given the green light. The Guardian reports today that:
"The US is giving Israel a window of a week to inflict maximum damage on Hizbullah before weighing in behind international calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon, according to British, European and Israeli sources. . .US strategy in allowing Israel this freedom for a limited period has several objectives, one of which is delivering a slap to Iran and Syria, who Washington claims are directing Hizbullah and Hamas militants from behind the scenes."
Unfortunatly, this polciy also puts over 3 million Lebanese under the boot of the fourth most powerful military in the world and assumes that there will be anything left of Lebanon by the time Israel is done. Something tell's me W.'s urging Israel to use "restraint" is going to carry too much weight.
Michael Hirsh in this week's Newsweek writes that: "A senior Lebanese official said U.S. pressure on the Israelis was marginal at best. 'In practice, what they're saying to the Israelis is, instead of blowing up a bridge with five bombs, make it four bombs,' he said bitterly."
Meanwhile, the Bush administration is apparently in no hurry to step in to put pressure on Israel to put an end to its remorseless attacks on innocent men, women and children. I've heard tell that the Israeli military always operates on two clocks; the military clock, which says how long they have to accomplish their objectives; and the diplomatic clock, which tells them how long they can expect to get away with what they're doing before the US says 'enough.' This time around it looks like Israeli generals have been given the green light. The Guardian reports today that:
"The US is giving Israel a window of a week to inflict maximum damage on Hizbullah before weighing in behind international calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon, according to British, European and Israeli sources. . .US strategy in allowing Israel this freedom for a limited period has several objectives, one of which is delivering a slap to Iran and Syria, who Washington claims are directing Hizbullah and Hamas militants from behind the scenes."
Unfortunatly, this polciy also puts over 3 million Lebanese under the boot of the fourth most powerful military in the world and assumes that there will be anything left of Lebanon by the time Israel is done. Something tell's me W.'s urging Israel to use "restraint" is going to carry too much weight.
Michael Hirsh in this week's Newsweek writes that: "A senior Lebanese official said U.S. pressure on the Israelis was marginal at best. 'In practice, what they're saying to the Israelis is, instead of blowing up a bridge with five bombs, make it four bombs,' he said bitterly."
posted by William Duane at 4:54 PM
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