Rice stated earlier in the week that she will go to the Middle East only if it will "make a difference." Apparently, after Bush told Blair into an open microphone, "I think Condi's going to go (to Mideast) pretty soon", they made plans to send her there. However, Rice is still hanging around Washington; waiting, I suppose, for the Israelis to have some sort of decisive success in their violent assault on Lebanon. "I am thinking about it, as you might imagine," Rice said, "and assessing (it) every day."
Hizbollah seems to be muckraking for chaos with their shelling. Unfortunately, Israel is obliging with their bombing and its 'collateral' killings of innocent Lebanese. I think they would have been better served to work with the Lebanese government in a coordinated campaign against the militarized forces of Hizbollah. Indeed, there was an opportunity for negotiations with Syria which was shunned by Israel earlier this year.
The notion that the route Israel has taken is their only defense seems wrongheaded in the face of the escalation that has occurred. Like in Iraq, there seems to be a stubborn insistence that MORE militarism is the answer, but, I don't think Israel or the U.S. should be drawn into potentially misguided killings as reprisals against every splinter organization which lobs rockets or explodes a bomb. It just plays into the hands of those who really don't want a 'peace' process, and creates a new wave of recriminations and reprisals.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).