Just the Facts, For Once

Anyone thinking that the State Department is Israel's friend is kidding themselves. Here's proof positive:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is abruptly breaking off her diplomatic mission in the Mideast and returning to Washington after Israel's deadly attack on a Lebanese village, a U.S. official said Sunday. Rice, who planned to head back to the United States on Monday morning, had hoped to leave the region after concrete progress on ending the fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon. But her work was hampered severely by Israel's missile strike early Sunday that killed more than 50 people, including many children.

The coward that wouldn't let the AP reporter mention them by name should be ashamed of himself/herself. This official completely ignores the fact that Sheik Nasrallah has promised more missile attacks on Israel:

Nasrallah also dismissed a new diplomatic effort by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to bring about cease-fire, saying the United States wants fighting to continue. His statement came as Rice arrived in the Mideast to visit Israel; a possible Lebanon stop has not been announced.

---------------

"The bombardment of Afula and its military base is the beginning..., Nasrallah said. "Many cities in the center (of Israel) will be targeted in the 'beyond Haifa' stage if the savage aggression continues on our country, people and villages."

The notion that a State Department official would hint that it's Israel's fault that the ceasefire talks failed is appalling. That this official didn't bother to take Nasrallah's threats into account is, in my opinion, proof that the State Department needs a major shakeup ASAP. It's also appalling that this cowardly unnamed official wouldn't mention Nasrallah's dismissal of another round of diplomacy. Based on that statement alone, it's obvious that Nasrallah thinks they're winning.

This official obviously isn't interested even in being neutral in the matter. What the State Department should be doing is criticizing Hezbollah's deploying near UN outposts.

Just last week, Maj. Hess-von Kruedener wrote an e-mail about his experiences after nine months in the area, words Maj.-Gen. MacKenzie said are an obvious allusion to Hezbollah tactics.

"What I can tell you is this," he wrote in an e-mail to CTV dated July 18. "We have on a daily basis had numerous occasions where our position has come under direct or indirect fire from both (Israeli) artillery and aerial bombing. "The closest artillery has landed within 2 meters (sic) of our position and the closest 1000 lb aerial bomb has landed 100 meters (sic) from our patrol base. This has not been deliberate targeting, but rather due to tactical necessity."

Those words, particularly the last sentence, are not-so-veiled language indicating Israeli strikes were aimed at Hezbollah targets near the post, said Maj.-Gen. MacKenzie. "What that means is, in plain English, 'We've got Hezbollah fighters running around in our positions, taking our positions here and then using us for shields and then engaging the IDF," he said. That would mean Hezbollah was purposely setting up near the UN post, he added.

Why isn't Kofi Annan speaking out against Hezbollah's endangering of UN 'peacekeepers'? (As I've mentioned before, the cynic's nickname for UN peacekeepers is speed bumps.) You'd think that anyone who'd deliberately put UN personnel in harm's way would get a major tongue-lashing from the UN. Based on what we've seen, it didn't even raise their blood pressure a point.

Based on all the conditions on the ground, why would Dr. Rice attempt to negotiate a ceasefire? Frankly, I'm thankful that she isn't doing that. Let Israel kill more terrorists. Let Israel kill alot more terrorists.

---

Posted Sunday, July 30, 2006 9:54 AM

June 2006 Posts

No comments.