I can't claim to know much about the conflict but what confuses me as an outsider is why Labanon has an armed militia to protect it when it has a national army. If the local army is weak as some suggest can't the backers of Hizbollah (who ever they may be) fund and support the ligitimate Labanese armed forces instead? That way your government would have ultimate control over actions like the one which started this recent conflict.

The writings of "Lebanese, Lebanon" illustrate the futility of trying to comprehend or deal in a rational way with an Islamic radical. When someone can see the blue sky and talks about how red it is, well..... what's the point? Radical Islam and its appendages need to be treated like the cancer that it is on civilization - the creatures in those bodies are no human in a comprehensible sense.

WHY DONT YOU TAKE BACK YOUR COUNTRY FROM THE HANDS OF THE TERRORISTS HEZBALLAH INSTEAD OF CRITICISIN IDF.

It was sad that Israel accepted the resolution. It is sad that Lebanon was destroyed so badly. You have a lot of rebuilding to do for standing with Hezbollah instead of your government enforcing the UN resolution to disarm them. We feel no pity for your losses for they are a result of Hezbollah hiding within your population. The women and children were killed because they were knowingly used as a human shield just like the four UN observers who died at the observation post. IDF gave warning to leave the area but your casualties stayed. If Israel set out to attack civilians like Hezbollah's indiscriminate launching of rockets at civilian population centers, your casualties would be 10X greater. Please make the world a better place and stand in front of a Hezbollah fighter while the IDF are bearing down. While you are standing there, consider this. Perhaps Israel accepted the UN resolution in order to point out to the world how ineffective they are. The condition of the cease fire is that they must disarm Hezbollah. When Iran and Syria rearm them, Israel will turn the clock back on you another 20 years.

When Lebanon starts counting its losses and starts pointing fingers I hope they start pointing them at Syria. Syria’s Lebanese fifth column (Hezbollah) wasn’t aiming at Israel so much as it was possibly seeking retribution against Lebanon. When Syrian hands helped assassinate Lebanese billionaire Hariri, Lebanese outrage against Syria lead to the humiliating Syrian exodus from what Syria has always viewed as its territory. The Lebanese need only ask the survivors of Hama, Syria to learn how Assad’s Syria deals with rebellion on its territory. It wasn’t a matter of if Lebanon would be punished by Syria, but when. I’m surprised it took this long. Any overt act against Lebanon by Syria would have been a disaster for Syria. But for Syria to teach Lebanon an abject lesson in the realities of life, and still keep Syria holy in the eyes of the Lebanese people required a galling amount of duplicitous subterfuge on Assad’s part, but Israel fell right into Assad’s hands. So how much did it cost Syria to have its revenge exacted on Lebanon? Nothing! And what did Syria get? Everything! Lebanon received the brutal beating that Assad so badly wanted to give it himself, Hezbollah and Syria came out smelling like roses, Israel looks weaker in the eyes of its many enemies and Israel is the fall guy for all of it. I truly hope that the Lebanese people take a moment from their anger at Israel to thoughtfully reflect on who really benefited from this conflict. Their anger may be directed once again at Damascus where it should be. If the Lebanese were to discover that this was a Machiavellian plot by Syria to punish and reassert its control over Lebanon, it could be far more effective than any Israeli offensive in removing Hezbollah and Syria from Lebanon permanently.

i wonder if you folks realize that people in this country are sick and tired of ISRAEL and the probl;ems one country has caused the world. you are now affecting our lives and we have grone tired of this. congress and the senate may say we support you but the people of this country are getting FED UP!

Dear #36 Americans largely support Israel and don't lack the moral clarity to tell the difference between barbarians who target innocents and Israel which would defend itself from them. Israel will be a stumbling block to the world but I, an American, support Israel and will not grow impatient. Terenia, #36, might wish for her neighbor to be a good rape victim and be quiet but, most Americans won't just look the other way.

What claptrap. Israel. please don't believe that "terenia" speaks for us all -- far from it. The fact that a bunch of radical, barbaric nutjobs want to destroy your nation is not, in my eyes, "the problems one country has caused the world." That is sheer ignorance and illogic. I cannot speak for all of us, but of the individuals I speak with, most understand fully that Israel is in the right to defend itself and has exercised remarkable restraint in the manner in which it has done so. We also understand that if Israel suddenly ceased to be "a problem" for the nutjobs, they would merely turn their attention to the next vulnerable nation on the edge of their dreamed-of caliphate. Spain, perhaps, or maybe North Africa. The Byzantine Empire would do nicely. Oh, too late, that's been done. Israel, may God bless you always. And may America stand with you, at least as much as this American voter has the power to tell it to.

Perhaps the next time, the Israeli Air Force will utiliize American bunkerbuster bombs. Had this been done early on, the conclusion of hostilities would have yielded a better result for the Israelis.

Wasn't Baalbek a temple to honor the "God" Baal? Strange that Hizbollah should congregate at Lucifer's minion's temple.

People who don't want to understand what it means to say the are "chosen" never will. They have chosen to believe we are racist or condescending. I don't even bother trying to explain it anymore, but I'm the idiot... Who is condescending, Go figure...

Terenia you need to quit looking at all the hype the drive by media keeps throwing at you and read for yourself what people really think. Israel has always been America's one reliable ally other than Britain. It always will be. Americans shed their blood for the Jews and Israeli's in World War 2 and dont mind doing it when its called for. We honor our past and our religion which Israel is a major part of. Unless of course your one of the uneducated idiots that the democratic party keeps counting on for a vote you should know this. Dont get on a world wide forum and let your ignorance show. Do a little more research before you speak for all Americans and history. The United States of America will always be Israel's friend and ally, we also know right from wrong guess you missed that part in school huh?

They are not terrorists, militants, freedom fighters, fighters or barbarians. They are vermin and like all vermin deserve to be exterminated. Even the cockroach does not kill its own!

Terenia-The only thing I would like to change in this situation is to add about 10,000 grunts on the ground right next to Isreal to pound those terrorist scum bags into the ground. Wise up! Isreal is on our side and we are on her's.

Well said. Good Man.

The people of the United States do not support Israel anymore (with the exception of the minority of Jewish Americans). I (we) are sick of throwing good money at "strategic irrelevance". Hopefully some day you can be on your own and stop leaching off of the U.S. taxpayer.

Useless Nations brokered peace deals? How many times must you go down this road?? The Arab animals are now rearming and shall come at you again, renewed and encouraged by your indecisive floundering over the yabber coming from the mouths of people that hate you. You have listened to your enemies: "The World," which wants nothing so much as to see you all dead. How long, Oh Lord, before your people stop listening to "The World" and it's lying misleaders? How long will you be WEAK? "Having gone to war, it is vain to shrink from the consequences of it." If you want Peace, you must DEFEAT THEM. Not stop at half-measures and let them catch their breath. Stop listening to the garbage from people who know nothing of war. THERE ARE NO INNOCENT CIVILIANS. "Civilians" are absolutly *responsible* for the government they tolerate. They provide safe haven. They tolerate the killers activities. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE. Stop listening to "The World," who are not going to come help you bury your dead, killed in vain if you are WEAK and listen to them. Peace comes after you KILL YOUR ENEMY, or drive him so low he finally, completely submits. Throw out those who listen to you enemies! Put an IRON MAN in charge and FINISH THEM.

Your money doesnt pay for anything done for or with Israel Jed. Unless of course your in the top 25% of all income earners in the US which I highly doubt since those folks have people to read this site and answer it for them. Dont let the Dems fool you into thinking your money is being used for anything other than what you pay for. America counts for less than 3% of all moneys Israel has. That includes weapons systems and other military hardware. They pay us! Dont believe it? Here is the tax breakdowns for you, read it and weep. Only the Rich Pay Taxes! Go to the bottom of the page and read in the yellow box. The links to all information are there. www.rushlimbaugh.com The Top 50% pay 96.54% of All Income Taxes The Top 1% Pay More Than a Third: 34.27%

I am a non-jewish Anglo American, in total suport of the Israeli Cause. The US should have Nuked Iran, Iraq, Syria all the other radical Islam fools. The Islamic fools need to be sent to their paradise as soon as possible.

All this activity is leading up to the use of nuclear weapons in the Middle East on Sept. 12, 2006. Visit yisraylhawkins.com for all the details. We don't have much time.

Kick ass Israel

IDF should have never stopped. Only fools and idiots think that a UN "peace keeping" force will stop Hizbullah from rearming. And ha, ha, ha, I can't stop laughing the Lebanesse army is going to disarm Hizbullah...................right!

America will always have your back. It's a terrible thing to think about, but Iran and Syria must be dealt with to ensure the safety and survival of Israel and the West. Tolerance and understanding cannot exist as long as one party wants to destroy the existence of another.

The "Jews" are not God's chosen people. The true Israel are the remnant Christians. "Jews" rejected God's only son, Jesus, so God rejects the "Jews".

sworn an oath

Iran feels the world is with them on their Nuclear weapons program. It seems that only the UK and USA will stand-up to them. Nuclear arms and Hezbollah are both supported by Iran's oil revenue. While we will all feel the squeeze if that oil flow ends, it must be done. The revenue loss will greatly weaken Iran's ability to finance terrorism or weapons programs.

...and you are definitely one, for all you supposed 'arguments' do not have any substance, there is no connection whatsoever between your premises and the 'conclusions' you take from them! By the way, the very facts you mention (the only part of your post that seems to be reasonable) lead to conclusions opposed to the ones you drew. Oh, last but not least: in case iyou've missed your geography classes, now is winter in Southern Hemisphere, including Brazil, and temperatures are aroun 20, 25 celsius - so if the heat is causing damage to someone's thought, surely it is not to mine!

Yes we all do have our opinions, which is not an excuse for denigrating a religion or a race of people...Including Rastafarians. Spell-check your posts.

Mr. Abidad, very nice to read your statement. It gives me a good feeling when I hear from the "moderate majority" . Radical Muslim beliefs are going to create such a mistrust to those of other faiths. Fear will only cause actions from the American Govt. which will be devastating to peace in the world. As long as there is extremism, there will be wars. Looks like war will be around for a very LONG TIME! Keep up the faith

Your ignorance is mesmerizing. Your momma should take your internet connnection away from you.