I understand Zev Chafet's point in his
op-ed in today's NY Times and sure hope that the Israeli effort in Lebanon has the impact he thinks it will have on Syria and Iraq.
An Israeli victory in Lebanon wounds Hezbollah's patrons, Syria and Iran, both of which threaten American troops and aspirations in Iraq. It establishes Mr. Olmert as a major figure as he tries to set Israel's permanent borders in accordance with American policy. And, with any luck, it will make it possible next year for my children to stay in camp for the entire summer.
But,
the lead story in the same paper gives me concern that the wonderful Bush administration is risking civilian lives in an effort to allow Israel free reign until Sec. of State Rice arrives and we provide some leadership to end the crisis.
The strategy carries risk, partly because it remains unclear just how long the rest of the world, particularly America's Arab allies, will continue to stay silent as the toll on Lebanese civilians rises.
On Tuesday, the seventh day of the face-off, Israeli warplanes battered more targets in Lebanon, killing 30 people, including 11 members of the Lebanese Army, when bombs hit their barracks east of Beirut. Four of the dead were officers, and 30 more soldiers were wounded.
In southern Lebanon, nine members of a single family were killed and four wounded in an Israeli airstrike on their house in the village of Aitaroun, near the Israeli border.
Some 500,000 Lebanese have fled their homes to escape the violence, the United Nations estimated.
And then there is the Katrina-like reaction of our government to
getting US citizens out of Lebanon. I sure wish we had leaders that I could have confidence in and respect for. Can we survive another 2 years?
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