Well, last night on an Irish current affairs program, they interviewed the Israeli tourism minister. He repeated the same fiction (and wasn't challenged by the interviewer on it).Originally Posted by Eckolaker
Then on the Europe-wide 24 hours news station Euronews, one of teh stories on constant rotation was to the effect that "Israel has been give the go ahead to continue its offensive".
Meanwhile. even the US its seems* is getting pissed off with its client state - From BBC:
US 'outrage' over Israeli claims
The US state department has dismissed as "outrageous" a suggestion by Israel that it has been authorised by the world to continue bombing Lebanon.
"The US is sparing no efforts to bring a durable and lasting end to this conflict," said spokesman Adam Ereli.
Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon made the suggestion after powers meeting in Rome refrained from demanding an immediate ceasefire.
[...]
But questioned by reporters on the sidelines of a summit in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Ereli said: "Any such statement is outrageous."
The US has said a ceasefire is only worth it if it can be made to last. Mr Bush reiterated the US's rejection of a "false peace" on Thursday evening.
The BBC's world affairs correspondent, Nick Childs, points out that Mr Bush also emphasised how troubled he was by the mounting casualties, a suggestion - perhaps - that he is increasingly conscious of the price Washington is paying for its closeness to Israel.
----------------------
* The US could end this slaughter immediately if it wanted to. So why doesn't it? Instead they continue to rush new bombs to Israel to be dropped on civilians.
Hezbollah says it will accept an immediate unconditional ceasefire. Iran says it will accept this too. The US says - in the words of John Bolton - "The United States has no confidence that Hezbollah would honor an unconditional ceasefire."
Ironically, if the object of the Israeli onslaught was, as they claim, to "crush Hezbolllah once and for all" (a laughable proposition in and of itself) - it has been a miserable failure. Hezbollah, after two weeks of bombarbment, now enjoys the most widespread support it has ever had - even Lebanese Christians are reportedly chanting "victory to Hezbollah" in the streets. The Israeli invasion seems to have done what was impossible since the creation of Lebabon; it has united the Lebanese. "Hezbollah comes from the people. If they want to destroy Hezbollah, they will have to annihilate all of Lebanon" - Dr. Ghassan Fran, quoted in the NY Times.
The scariest thing is, I can quite see that happening - at least an attempt to flatten the south. Israel has dropped leaflets all over the south telling people to evacuate (sometimes when they do, they are bombed anyway - these are war crimes by the way). It is now Israel's position that "enough time" has been given and that anyone who remains in the south is de facto Hezbollah (why else would they be there huh?) - and thus anyone still in the south is now a legitimate target.
Reply With Quote