Comments on: Olmert Tries To Defuse Anger Over War

Israeli PM Responds To Public Discontent, Rules Out Talks With Syria

[ronniehm]

I'd ask how Lebanese civilian casualties benefit Hezbollah, but I already know that answer. It's why that "massacre" was initially reported as 40 dead civilians, when in fact only one guy died. It's why photos of rescue operations are staged (badly). It's why missiles are added to images of planes flying overhead. If the Israelis were such butchers, such exaggerations would hardly be necessary.

[ronniehm]

Goat, sorry if I lumped you in with Reuben. I know the price is up about 70 cents today. The generally accepted cause is the announcement by Iran that they intend to ignore the UN on its nuclear program. Anyway, I'm certainly not disputing the price of oil. Number are numbers. What I was wondering is how that 70-cent increase in oil prices will benefit the US Army.

I can't speak for Israel, nor would I try, but the statements out of there suggest that the infrastructure of Hezbollah-run territory was destroyed in order to prevent the arrival of weapons from Syria and Iran. Israel probably feels that had UN resolution 1559 been implemented, we would not be in the situation that we're in today. I agree with that. As for civilians, I saw no indication that Israel targeted civilians. The fact that civilians died does not in itself prove that they were targeted unless you are also injecting your own opinion of Israel into the conclusion. As I understand it, Israeli strikes that killed civilians were generally in tune with the locations of Hezbollah rocket launchers. But that's neither here nor there. My question was how does it benefit Israel to kill civilians? If there's no obvious benefit to Israel, it seems unlikely that it was Israel's goal. Occupying Lebanon is not a likely goal because Israel had already done that and left years ago. Besides, killing civlians on purpose would not help to achieve that goal. It would hinder that goal.

[grazinggoat]

RonnieHm, Sorry but you are confusing me with Reuben110. I try not to insult anybody when I commit a comment or an answer. It never pays well to inflame or poison a discussion with personal attacks. Go to Bloomberg.com/energy/ and you'll see the increase in price. Why such an increase for a sudden? There 's no indication of instability. Truce in Lebanon is still holding, Iran is showing its muscles, but that is it, not planning attacks or whatsover. It recently increased it's oil production by 125, 000 barrel per day. There is no oil delivery disruption anywhere in the world, so why is it, this increase? You check it yourself at the gaz pump. Every once there had been a sharp increase in the gaz price, it was followed by a US Army incursion in a country or major US army action in an already occupied one.

Why did Israel at first attack civilians, and civilian infrastructure? What benefited to Israel? Nothing most probably. No gain except in preparation for occupying the Land of Lebanon, because it's part of the Biblical Plan, to occupy the whole middle-east From Mediterranea to Euphratis. This is what's most dangerous, because it's pushed by the whole Neo-Cons/ Evangelicals/ teaming up with the Pro-Israeli lobby in order to push their agenda and plan in the middle-east. That did not work. The Lebanese resistence has stopped them from doing that. I'm sure that they'll retry again, and again.

[emanualhyman]

Grazingoat, Israels actions are aimed at preventing additional import of arms aimed at Israel. The Hizbula idea of rockets in private houses, if repeated in Lebanon, Gaza, Judea and Samaria would constitute an incredible existential threat to Israel, given the Jihadists proclaimed objective of Israel%u2019s destruction, and the state of war that still exists between Lebanon and Israel following Lebanon%u2019s attack in 1948. Israel%u2019s right of self defense includes preventing introduction of additional weapons in Hizbulas hands. Do I seem to remember the U.S. being nervous about the prospect of Soviet weapons in Cuba? Certainly, Israel has much more to fear from a ring of armed nations round it than the U.S. ever had to fear from Cuba.

[ronniehm]

How would it benefit Israel to blow up Lebanese citizens? How does it benefit the US Army to have higher oil prices? Just wondering. P.S. Goat, if you're just going to keep repeating how stupid and ignorant I am, let someone else answer.

[grazinggoat]

LOCHLAN, it seems to be the case. They will act in duet, Israel on Lebanese Population and its resistence, and GWBush over Iran. See the Oil price has increased significantly since this week end. Very much likely the petroleum industry has decided to go ahead, with the increase in order to finance the USArmy plan and actions in the Middle East. We, poor taxpayers, who have no word saying have to pay despite one's refusal to support war effort.

[lochlan-2009]

It looks like Israel is just itching to start blowing up Lebanese citizens again, now that Bush looks like he tried and accomplished a temporary cease fire. We'll be hearing from our media within a week that a rocket went into Israel with caualties, whether it's true or not they'll have their excuse.

[grazinggoat]

What if Lebanese government built a long wall along its border with Israel, 3 feet in Lebanese territory? Would that draw International condemnation?