The international community, no doubt strong armed to a certain degree by the Bush Administration, actually showed a great deal of clarity in its statement Sunday regarding the escalating situation along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Beirut has been screaming for a ceasefire for days, urging the world to impose a cessation of hostilities not on Hizb’allah, but on Israel.

But leaders of the world’s top industrialized nations (G-8) meeting in St. Petersburg told Lebanon it will have calm only AFTER aggression against the Jewish state ceases. Continue reading »

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he doesn’t believe Israel is attacking Lebanon merely to secure the return of two abducted soldiers.

“…it is our impression that aside from seeking to return the abducted soldiers, Israel is pursuing wider goals.”

What a clever and perceptive assessment, considering that Israel has been saying all along that is it equally concerned with ending the missile threat to its northern residents by destroying Hizb’allah.

Putin’s displeasure over the situation smacks of hypocrisy in light of his own nation’s brutal offensive against terrorist forces in Chechnya.