Smoke & Mirrors * Flag Waving * Fluff Factor Enters French PoliticsNo matter what he does the president seems unable to garner support for his actions. The swagger of the war president no longer cuts it. Smoke and mirrors fail to hide the ugly truth. The voters in their wisdom have seen through the facade. Results of the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll are revealing."An Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted this week found the president's approval rating has dropped to 33 percent, matching his low in May. His handling of nearly every issue, from the Iraq war to foreign policy, contributed to the president's decline around the nation, even in the Republican-friendly South.More sobering for the GOP are the number of voters who backed Bush in 2004 who are ready to vote Democratic in the fall's congressional elections — 19 percent. These one-time Bush voters are more likely to be female, self-described moderates, low- to middle-income and from the Northeast and Midwest.Two years after giving the Republican president another term, more than half of these voters — 57 percent — disapprove of the job Bush is doing.Ah, thought of the consternation among the president's handlers is cause for rejoicing."Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.All the king's horses,And all the king's men,Couldn't put Humpty together again."-- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass*They Are Still Playing the Patriot CardThe total number of American soldiers who died in Iraq is now 2599 including 21 in August. Against the war in Iraq ? Then you are unpatriotic. Same old refrain. Nothing else seems to be working for the Republicans, so they wrap themselves in the Flag. It is the same gang that came up with Freedom Fries.E.J. Dionne in the Post: ...

Suffering Inflicted on Both Sides of the Border From the BBC:The UN Human Rights Council has voted to launch an inquiry into alleged abuses committed by Israel during its month-long offensive in Lebanon.Human rights commissioner Louise Arbour backed the probe, but earlier called for Hezbollah to also face an inquiry.She condemned both Israel and Hezbollah for the suffering inflicted on civilians in Lebanon and north Israel.Ms Arbour said there was evidence to strongly suggest that indiscriminate force was being used by both sides.War crimes could be committed even by those who believed their cause was worthy, she warned.She was speaking at an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council."If terrorism doesn't scare you, maybe Bush will"Jimmy Greenfield in The Chicago Tribune:Published August 11, 2006Scared yet? Well, you may be soon.What we almost certainly will see in aftermath of the alleged plot to blow up several planes en route to the U.S. is a thunderous response from President Bush and other Republican leaders.With the midterm elections less than three months away, they will attempt to scare Americans into re-electing Republicans or risk facing instant annihilation at the hands of an evil and murderous enemy.Choose us and live. Choose them and die. Your call.Nice way to end the summer, isn't it?Believe it or not, Thursday was actually a good day. Everybody in his or her right mind knows there are always terrorists plotting to attack the U.S., so it didn't bother me that some people were discovered to be doing just that.What made it a good day was that at least one government, even if it was the British government, knew how to foil a massive terrorist plot.

Terrorism - Hatred Among the RuinsPresident Bush eagerly jumped at the opportunity to talk about terrorism -- the topic has done him well -- and put in a plug for the endangered domestic surveillance program. His pet war is floundering to say the least. The non-existent WMD and mission accomplished a distant memory. In the din about the new threat of terrorist plans to destroy passenger aircraft unearthed in London, negotiations for a cease fire agreement in Lebanon temporarily ceded the headlines. The Post: "This country is safer than it was prior to 9/11," Bush said with Air Force One behind him. "We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people. But obviously we're still not completely safe, because there are people that still plot and people who want to harm us for what we believe in." The timing was right. The prospects look dim for Republicans facing re-election. It might, just might gain the president a few points in a poll and give Republican candidates a chance to say that they are stronger when it comes to national security.In what was an apparent reference to this year's controversies over the administration's surveillance programs, Bush told reporters: "It is a mistake to believe there is no threat to the United States of America. And that is why we have given our officials the tools they need to protect our people."The Other WarStalemate in the negotiations for cease fire in the other war that the Bush Administration is fighting through Israel. No boots on the ground but steady supply of weapons of war and technology to assist Israel. The civilians continue to take the brunt of the attacks. Good for the Hezbollah; they are assured of new recruits. A large anti-war demonstration is planned for tomorrow (Aug.12) in Washington, DC. The organizers plan to surround the White House. Petula Dvorak in the Post: "The nation's capital is becoming a stage where passions on both sides of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict are being played out with a series of protests, vigils and rallies in Washington in recent weeks, with more to come."The largest demonstration -- billed as a protest of the "U.S.-Israeli war" -- is expected to draw "tens of thousands" of people who plan to surround the White House tomorrow, said Tony Kutayli, communications coordinator for the Washington-based American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee, one of the groups helping coordinate participants arriving from across the country.Hatred Among the RuinsOn July 22nd, the Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid wrote in the Washington Post about reaction among muslims to the attacks against Lebanon.Mounting Muslim Anger Endangers SecurityLahore, Pakistan - The Israeli attack on Lebanon is fuelling unprecedented anger amongst ordinary Muslims, despite the support that many moderate Muslim regimes are demonstrating for the action.Muslim anger on the street is being directed at Israel, America and Britain and also at their own leaders who are doing nothing to help bring about a cessation of hostilities or a ceasefire. The U.S. -- by publicizing its success in isolating Syria and Iran for their support for Hezbollah -- falls further in public opinion in the Muslim world, endangering its own security, making it more of a target for terrorist attacks and undermining any future role the U.S. may have in brokering a peace between Israel and the Palestinians.Israel's air and land invasion is unlikely to wipe out Hezbollah. Instead the group will go further underground and become more dependent on terrorist tactics to continue the fight. Also there will now be a much greater justification for Sunni terrorist groups such as al' Qaeda to link up with Shia extremist groups such as Hezbollah to work and plan together. This would encourage and strengthen terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan and the Middle East. The world is certainly becoming a more unsafe place.

Rabbi David J. Goldberg * The Proxy War Rages On* Shame of the 502nd Infantry Regiment No surprise that the U.S. is unwilling to accept changes in the draft UN peace agreement submitted by France. At this point the U.S. and Israel believe that they are winning against the Hezbollah (think Syria and Iran) and do not wish to stop. "UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 -- The United States and France have split over key provisions in a compromise resolution to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, triggering intense diplomatic scrambling, according to European and U.S. officials. " France wants to incorporate ideas from Lebanon's new proposals, particularly on two issues: deploying Lebanese troops alongside a more robust version of the U.N. force now in Lebanon as a means to expedite an Israeli withdrawal, and settling the status of Shebaa Farms, the officials said. ...

Blather, blather * Incumbents Beware * AOL Hopes for a solution to the Lebanon crisis appear to be bogged down as the parties debate about the terms of settlement. What is worse is that the UN resolution could fail to bring a lasting peace that we keep hearing about. The GuardianThe UN security council will almost certainly adopt a ceasefire resolution this week, in spite of objections from Lebanon and others in the Arab world. But diplomats and analysts were united in despair yesterday, expressing doubts that the resolution could stop the fighting."It does not look good," one European diplomat said. "There is nobody interested in stopping now. Hizbullah has no reason to stop. The discrepancy between what is being discussed at the diplomatic table and what is happening on the ground is terrible."Washington PostThe foreign ministers from member states of the Arab League gathered in Beirut despite the hostilities for a day-long show of solidarity. They decided to send representatives to the United Nations to press the case for an immediate cease-fire and other changes in a proposed Security Council resolution. Their deliberations were overshadowed, however, by knowledge that a cease-fire decision resided not with Arab governments, but with Israel, Hezbollah and the big powers on the Security Council.Good news in the Post about voters' dissatisfaction with their elected representatives. If the polls are right then we can expect quite a few of them to lose their seats in the mid-term election. They deserve it.Most Americans describe themselves as being in an anti-incumbent mood heading into this fall's midterm congressional elections, and the percentage of people who approve of their own representative's performance is at the lowest level since 1994, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.As attention turns to Connecticut for Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's Democratic primary showdown today, the poll found some of the same political currents that have buffeted his campaign flowing through the national electorate. The public has soured on politicians backing the Iraq war, which Democrats consider the most important issue of the election.AOL - Was it a "Screw Up"Ellen Nakashima in the Post:AOL issued an apology yesterday for posting on a public Web site 20 million keyword searches conducted by hundreds of thousands of its subscribers from March to May. But the company's admission that it made a mistake did little to quell a barrage of criticism from bloggers and privacy advocates who questioned the company's security practices and said the data breach raised the risk of identity theft."This was a screw-up and we're angry and upset about it," the company said in a statement. "Although there was no personally-identifiable data linked to these accounts, we're absolutely not defending this. It was a mistake, and we apologize."

Slaughter of Civilians ContinuesIt is clear that before the UN plan (now being hammered out) is implemented the relentless attacks by Israelis will continue as will retaliation by the Hezbollah. The civilians on both sides of the border are like sacrificial goats in this "proxy war". President Bush, vacationing in Crawford, and his Secretary of State are engaged in taking advantage of the crisis to gain ground against Syria and Iran. In their world, the mounting casualties mean nothing. Michael Fletcher in the Post: CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 6 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Sunday for approval of a draft U.N. resolution calling for a "cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah, saying it is a crucial "first step" toward resolving the conflict.Acknowledging that passage of the resolution would not immediately end the fighting that has raged for most of the past month, Rice said that it nonetheless offers a framework that would not only eventually end the hostilities but also stabilize the area going forward.Are the Lebanese being pressured to accept unjust terms? Such tactics are likely to fail in achieving the long-term objective of the major powers. A report in the Guardian states:Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, piled pressure on Hizbullah to comply with the proposed UN call for a truce yesterday, reiterating Washington's insistence that a cessation of hostilities would be the first step towards a longer-term settlement. "We're trying to deal with a problem that has been festering and brewing in Lebanon now for years and years and years," she said.But Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, rejected the 6,500-word text thrashed out by Washington and Paris. Mr Berri, who has been negotiating on behalf of Hizbullah, said the draft resolution legitimised Israel's occupation, adding that it would "open the door to never-ending war". Philippe Douste-Blazy, France's foreign minister, said obtaining Lebanese and Arab support for the plan was his government's priority.In the meantime, air attacks have killed more civilians in Lebanon. The Washington Post: BEIRUT, Aug. 7 -- A tearful Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told visiting foreign ministers that 40* people were killed in Israeli airstrikes early Monday, one day after intensified attacks on both sides left more than two dozen soldiers and civilians dead."State Terrorism ?"An hour ago, there was a horrific massacre in the village of Houla," Siniora said, calling the bombing "deliberate" and the people who died "martyrs." He interrupted his remarks several times to choke back tears and wipe his eyes, wire services reported. The ministers broke into applause."If these horrific actions are not state terrorism," Siniora asked rhetorically, "then what is state terrorism?"*Note: The number of dead was subsequently reported to be incorrect, and reduced. Comments Anonymous — 2006-08-07 if siniora had had the guts to stand up to the religious zealot, iran supported terrorist group hezbollah in the first place, and not let them grow and stockpile at the border, he would not need to shed a single tear today. make no mistake - he is directly responsible for the warring state, and while he cries for the tv crews, he could have stopped the atrocities from both side on day one, and he still can - forcing the hezbollah to return the kidnapped soldiers, and bringing in the lebanese military to the southern border and squelch the indiscriminate missile firing towards israel. Unknown — 2006-08-07 @tsella, if Israel had withdrawed its troops from Shabaa farms - the Lebanes land occupied by Israel- and had set the Lebanese prisoners in its prisons free, Hezbolla wouldn't have initiated the war on them. Believe me, Senyora may cry after seeing the barbaric attack the IDF makes on children and innocent civilians, but Lebanon will never give up. Anonymous — 2006-08-07 @tarek, shabaa? you must mean mount dov.. so you're saying lebanon is now fighting for syria? nice. that's what we're saying, but the cowards in syria are afraid to speak up. anyway, you know this is bullcrap. when the people behind hezbollah (iran if you're unsure) go all out saying israel should not exist, we both know hezbollah would have found whatever reason to declare holy jihad on israel. prisoners? you mean cold-blooded-by-his-own-confession samir kuntar? in any arab country he would have faced capital punishment (i.e. death sentense), but we're too civilized for that. he's serving life in prison, and i hope he rots in there alive for a hundred years more. regardless, bottom line, you're condoning terrorism - you're condoning warring state. there is no dialog with terrorists. i hope lebanon will be wiser than you.

They talk about peace....a lasting peace, but only at their terms. Do they think of the victims? "KFAR GILADI, Israel, Aug. 6 -- Ten people, most of whom appeared to be Israeli reserve soldiers, were killed Sunday afternoon when a barrage of Katusha rockets fired by Hezbollah militants landed in a parking lot where the troops were gathered near this kibbutz on Israel's northernmost tip, according to witnesses at the scene.""The Bush administration's policy of refusing to engage with nations and groups linked to terrorism, including Syria, Iran and Palestinian factions, has sharply limited U.S. maneuvering room during the war between Israel and Hezbollah, according to former administration officials and outside experts.""A POEM THAT I WROTE IN A HIGH FEVER"You who are lengthening your liveswith the best doctors and best medicinesremember those who are shortening their liveswith the warthat you in your long lives are notpreventing.You who are again screwingthe younger generationsand winking at each otherthe winking of your eyelidsis like chill of the swinging shuttersin an empty house.---Yehuda Amichai (translated from Hebrew by Leon Wieseltier)* Listening to Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata No.131 ""Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir,"Conductor: Philippe HerreweghePerformer: Peter Kooy, Barbara Schlick, et al.Orchestra: Collegium Vocale Ghent (Orchestre)Label: EMI Records [All429]

No Cuckoos in Lebanon"Sumer is ycomen in,Loude sing cuckou!Groweth seed and bloweth meed,And springth the wode now.Sing cuckou!"---Anonymous (13th Century English Poem)The headlines paint a bleak picture of what is happening in our world on this sunny morning in July. For us in the San Francisco Bay area the weather is balmy. Mild temperature and blue sky. One cannot,however, escape what is happening in Lebanon, Gaza, and Iraq. If there are cuckoos, they are not singing. People in Israel too have not escaped suffering but I am with those whose sympathies are with the civilians who have received the brunt of Israel's brute force.Emma Brockes writes in The Guardian, "Oh God, Redux": "At this stage, the shelf starts to buckle. Embedded in these stories was speculation about Iran's nuclear threat, a reminder that Gaza is still under siege, analysis of Tony Blair's fallout with his cabinet and footage of his joint press conference with George Bush, which when it was shown the first time round - Blair frowning powerfully, Bush sinisterly jocular - was a tipping point into despair for lots of people. The final item on the news that evening couldn't have been more symbolic if it had shown the ravens leaving the Tower of London. Fidel Castro, the one constant in all our lives, was on the blink. That's when I reached for the phone and -"We're fucked." Biblical prophesy sites have been quick to jump on the Israel/Lebanon crisis as a realisation of Thessalonians 5:3 ("While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape ...") and the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. They must be the only people actively enjoying the situation. "Got that dancing feeling on the inside of me," posts one contributor to the Rapture Ready website, an outfit dedicated to scouring world events for signs of the second coming. Its talkboards are in a state of high excitement at the moment. "This is the busiest I've ever seen this website in a few years!" posts one contributor. "I have been having rapture dreams and I can't believe that this is really it! We are on the edge of eternity!!!!!!!" "Whoa! I can sure feel the glory bumps after reading this thread!" replies another contributor and another points out that there are exactly 40 days between the date on which the first Israeli soldier was kidnapped and that day's date, which, he writes, "I find to be a HUGE coincidence." I must confess that the thought of a world without the holy rollers -- assuming that they would soon ascend to heaven -- makes me happy. I shall take my chances of being left behind.And there is news about agreement being reached between the U.S. and France on a mid-east truce. It was time. Let us hope that peace, a lasting peace prevails in Lebanon.Abeer HamzaThe case against soldiers accused of rape and murder of a 14-year old Iraqi girl in Mahmudiya is making progress. The NY Times reported: "On March 13, a group of American soldiers sitting at a checkpoint south of Baghdad were asked to look into a horrible crime: a 14-year-old Iraqi girl had been raped, then killed along with her family in their house nearby in Mahmudiya." Those soldiers, along with others from their checkpoint, walked over and took detailed forensic photographs of the charred and bullet-riddled bodies, as if it were a routine investigation of an insurgent attack, according to a defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Now, those photographs are likely to serve as evidence in the military’s prosecution of the case, which opens a new chapter tomorrow when an Article 32 hearing, the rough equivalent of a grand jury proceeding, begins in Baghdad for five soldiers accused in the crime. Dog Days For Bush and BlairTony Blair postponed his vacation in Bermuda, and President Bush has decided to shorten his annual vacation in Crawford. Doubt if he took any books to read. In the meantime, GOP candidates worried about their prospects in mid-term election are keeping their distance from El Jefe. Michael Abramowitz in the Post: "On Capitol Hill, Rep. Mark Kennedy (Minn.) and Sen. James M. Talent (Mo.) are known as loyal Republican soldiers, reliable votes for President Bush on tax cuts and the Iraq war. In elections past, they have aired advertisements featuring the president and have stumped with him at public rallies." This year, both are running for Senate seats, but their television ads have made no mention of Bush -- and have been conspicuous in distancing the candidates from their partisan affiliation. "Most people don't care if you're red or blue, Republican or Democrat," Talent's ad states. A recent ad from Kennedy says, "He doesn't do what the party says to."

Think of them. Are they going to forget their experience? Will they grow up forgiving those responsible for the deaths and devastation ? Are they going to love those who were responsible?When we consider what is happening in Lebanon we must not forget the role of the United States and Britain in not only supporting the Israeli actions but also supplying them with the means to continue the massacre of civilians. Some of the images of the casualties depict the horrendous effects of weapons used. Now there is talk of financial aid to rebuild Lebanon and the Lebanese army! The neocons have the gift of erasing their memory; they don't remember Iraq. After destroying their country and killing hundreds of (perhaps thousands before the shooting stops) they expect the Lebanese to roll over and follow their bidding because they offer financial aid.Traumatised and afraid - 300,000 children who want to go homeBy Anne Penketh and Kim SenguptaThe Independent,UKPublished: 04 August 2006 "I don't want to die. I want to go to school," says Jamal, a four-year-old Lebanese boy scarred by the Israeli bombing of his country. Home for Jamal is now a "displacement centre" in the southern town of Jezzine, where his family fled in fear for their lives."We've had our picnic, and we want to go home now," says another child,staying in a makeshift refugee camp in the Sanayeh public gardens in Beirut. "We are bored and afraid and we want to go home," says another.These are the voices of the dispossessed of Lebanon, the hundreds of thousands of children whose world was changed forever in the seconds that followed the explosion of a bomb. "Mummy, what is a massacre?" another child asks.About 300,000 Lebanese children have been displaced by Israel's three-week war against Hizbollah - a third of the number of people who have abandoned their homes. In many cases they were ordered out by Israeli army leaflets. They are living in open-air camps, like the one in the Beirut park, or in schools, where many sought refuge. Many children have been housed with host families - in the port of Sidon, 48km (30 miles) south of the capital, 40 per cent of the 22,700 children in temporary accommodation are doing so. The rest are in displacement centres.On August 3rd, Reuters reported: "BEIRUT - Israel's military appears to have deliberately bombed civilians in Lebanon and some of its strikes constitute war crimes, U.S.-based rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday.HRW said Israel's contention that Hizbollah fighters were hiding among Lebanese civilians did not justify its "systematic failure" to distinguish between civilians and combatants."Democrats Smelling Blood In The WaterYes, there are signs that the conservatives have problems. Their past is catching up with them. Hubris vanquished is always cause to rejoice. E.J. Dionne writes in the Post: "Is conservatism finished?"What might have seemed an absurd question less than two years ago is now one of the most important issues in American politics. The question is being asked -- mostly quietly but occasionally publicly -- by conservatives themselves as they survey the wreckage of their hopes, and as their champions in the Republican Party use any means necessary to survive this fall's elections.

Lebanese civilians caught in the strife are the losers. That is one fact that stands out. They have paid with their lives (over 900 according to latest report). They have lost their homes and properties. Most of them innocent victims of what is being described as a "proxy war" between the U.S. and Israel on one side and Iran and Syria on the other. Currently, while terms of a cease fire are being argued, deaths and destruction continues. The United States is creating hatred and generations of potential Hezbollah recruits. Just as its grand scenario for a puppet regime in Iraq went down in flames, its plans for Lebanon are doomed to fail. Reading about Hezbollah loyalists in the Post reminded me of the Spanish Civil War slogan "No passaran" -- They shall not pass. "Three weeks into its war with Israel,Hezbollah has retained its presence in southern Lebanon, often the sole authority in devastated towns along the Israeli border. The militia is elusive, with few logistics, little hierarchy and less visibility. Even residents often say they don't know how the militiamen operate or are organized. Communication is by walkie-talkie, always in code, and sometimes messages are delivered by motorcycle. Weapons seem to be already in place across a terrain that fighters say they know intimately." Hezbollah admits to having suffered losses, but in the fighting so far, it has demonstrated its detailed planning since the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation. Fighters appear to exercise a great deal of autonomy, a flexibility evident along the region's back roads: ammunition loaded in cars, trucks in camouflage, rocket launchers tucked in banana plantations. Analysts say the militia could probably hold out a month without serious resupply. Fighters and supporters suggest that time is their advantage in a war that most suspect won't have a conclusive end. In conversations in southern Lebanon, the militia's supporters seem most adamant in trying to deprive either Israel or the United States of political gains from the military campaign. Robert Pape in NY Times: ISRAEL has finally conceded that air power alone will not defeat Hezbollah. Over the coming weeks, it will learn that ground power won'’t work either. The problem is not that the Israelis have insufficient military might, but that they misunderstand the nature of the enemy. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, Hezbollah is principally neither a political party nor an Islamist militia. It is a broad movement that evolved in reaction to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. At first it consisted of a small number of Shiites supported by Iran. But as more and more Lebanese came to resent Israel’s occupation, Hezbollah — never tight-knit — expanded into an umbrella organization that tacitly coordinated the resistance operations of a loose collection of groups with a variety of religious and secular aims. Civil War in IraqThings are bad enough in Iraq but we could expect much worse. What General Abizaid said during his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee was revealing and quite contrary to the rosy picture that the president continues to mention. The outgoing British Ambassador's assessment along the same lines was reported by BBC prior to General Abizaid's statement. The top U.S. commander in the Middle East told a Senate panel today that the recent wave of sectarian violence in Iraq threatens to push the country toward an all-out civil war. Army Gen. John P. Abizaid, commander of the U.S. Central Command, also said U.S. forces could take more casualties as they carry out a new plan to reinforce Baghdad, and he cast doubt on earlier predictions that the U.S. troop level in Iraq could be drawn down this year. Abizaid, appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, made the comments after the British ambassador to Iraq reported in a diplomatic dispatch that Iraq was more likely headed to "low intensity civil war" and sectarian partition than to a stable democracy. The BBC reported that the assessment was contained in the final diplomatic cable from William Patey to Prime Minister Tony Blair and top members of Blair's cabinet before Patey left the Iraqi capital last week.