Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Bush on the Mideast Bloodshed

“What they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it’s over.”

Wow. That's what our prez said to Tony Blair at a luncheon at the G8 conference. Gives ya a warm fuzzy feeling, don't it?

In the meantime,Ha'aretz reports that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Tony Blair, and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin yesterday called for deployment of an International force along the southern Lebanese border. de Villepin also called for an immediate truce between Israel and Lebanon on humanitarian grounds. PM de Villepin was in Beiruit, meeting with the Lebanese Government, in order to find a solution to this insanity.

Meanwhile, back at Rancho Brainless, Secretary of State Condi Rice might someday, in the unnamed future, just haul her perfectly coiffed hair over to Lebanon. "At some point in the future, the secretary intends to travel to the region," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. Probably after nothing is left.

But the NY Times today reports that Israel is softening its demand that Hezbollah disarm as a condition for cease fire. As of today, the report is that Israel will accept a pull back from the border, and release of the soldiers. The report continues to state that Iran and Syria, Hezbollah's primary supporters, appeared to join those seeking a solution to the now six-day war that's raging through Lebanon.

"The Tehran government called for a cease-fire, followed by a prisoner exchange, and Syria also promised to aid mediation efforts."

Most Lebanese are skeptical that Hezbollah will voluntarily withdraw from the border; Hezbollah says it will release the soldiers only with direct negotiations with Israel, and the release of Lebanese and other Arab prisoners. Israel is cool to an international deployment along the borders, saying that it would not stop Hezbollah attacks, but would hamper Israel's ability to strike back.

Israel needs to accept an international deployment, and must cease-fire. Only then can cooler heads prevail and create conditions for negotiation.

6 comments:

dawn said...

i like the thinking behind this but how come no ones brought up lebenon. They have allowed hezzbollah in there country and they should start by remobing them.I believe Isreal will listen to reason but will the militants

dawn said...

I just read yesterdays comments. This subject actually is making me very depressed. I guess living in Ny on 9/11 gave me a perspective That other parts of the country don't have. I really just want everyone to get a long. Maybe we can send them Glenda's Peace Train.(I am not being sarcastic)

DivaJood said...

Dawn, I lost a close friend on 9/11 - an employee of Qantas Airlines, she was on AA11, the first plane to hit the first tower. You need to find a DVD called Loose Change, edition 2. Google has it.

billie said...

“What they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it’s over.”

huh- i never would have thought of that. geez, it is so simple and yet so profound. did you actually see him saying it with his mouth full and chewing? i did. class act indeed. i'm surprised that tony blair didn't gag in his face.

sumo said...

Don't you hate when that happens?

DivaJood said...

Betmo, yep. I saw it on the mainstream media - NBC shwed him chomping away, looking for all the world like the pig he is. Blair looked a bit taken aback. NBC bleeped "Shit" but you could still hear it.

anonymous, thanks for the campaign tip.

Sumo, yep. It's a little on the outrageous side. I mean, he could have used a napkin at least.