Sunday, July 16, 2006

Israel Kills Children


This, and more, graphic photos of the children are over at The Angry Arab.

Via Juan Cole who reports that most of the 20 people killed in one of Israel's strikes are children.

Eight Canadians have been killed.

Also from Juan Cole: "Lebanon charged that the US blocked a UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire. If so, it is contemptible."

Iran warns Israel of 'unimaginable losses' if Syria hit

VIDEO: Rice Calls Idea That Iraq War Contributed
To Regional Instability ‘Grotesque’


From WaPo MSNBC:

Israel, with U.S. support, intends to resist calls for a cease-fire and continue a longer-term strategy of punishing Hezbollah, which is likely to include several weeks of precision bombing in Lebanon, according to senior Israeli and U.S. officials.

For Israel, the goal is to eliminate Hezbollah as a security threat -- or altogether, the sources said. A senior Israeli official confirmed that Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah is a target, on the calculation that the Shiite movement would be far less dynamic without him.

Hezbollah's cross-border raid that captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others has provided a "unique moment" with a "convergence of interests" among Israel, some Arab regimes and even those in Lebanon who want to rein in the country's last private army, the senior Israeli official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing conflict.

Israel and the United States would like to hold out until Hezbollah is crippled.

Backlash at Israel possible
There are no guarantees, however, that this strategy will work. Israeli airstrikes could backfire, experts warn.

"Hezbollah was risking alienating not only the Lebanese public at large but, incredibly, its very own Shiite constituency. But if Israel continues with its incessant targeting of exclusively civilian targets, and, as a result, life becomes increasingly difficult for the people, I would not be surprised if there is a groundswell of support for Hezbollah, exactly opposite of what Israel is trying to achieve," said Timur Goksel, an analyst and former spokesman for the U.N. force in Lebanon who lives in Beirut.

The Bush administration's position -- and diplomacy -- are the opposite of what happened during the Clinton administration.

Read the whole thing

Hezbollah