UNCEASED FIRE

Israel agrees to a cease fire and then inserts 10,000 more ground troops into Lebanon replete with accustomed bombing and strafing runs, heavy artillery fire and helicopter assaults near the Litani River-- Haaretz reported the deaths of nearly a dozen(now up to 25) Israeli ground troops none of whom were reservists and over one hundred soldiers sustaining combat wounds in fierce fighting-- Escalating the ground combat in the few hours before the cease-fire was to go into effect was exactly what President Bush toward the end of last week had specifically and publicly asked Israel not to undertake-- Saturday Bush spoke on the telephone with Prime-Minister Olmert for the first time since hostilities began more than a month ago-- Collaborating on a common defense strategy most assuredly should the world broach the topics of responsibility, of war crimes, and of course potential reparations for rebuilding Lebanon once again as well of course coordinating a mutual and agreeably positive spin on a most disappointing outcome -- A simple question-- Why is the President speaking to the number one supposed ally of the U.S. in the entire Middle East during a period when both leaders are at war for only the first time??-- To be so disengaged during such a momentous crisis seems not just a wee bit derelict-- Maybe the delusional Rumsfeld was at the helm??-- Maybe shotgun Cheney??-- Maybe the grounded Rice??--

Into effect goes the cease fire and this morning Mr. Bush proclaims the war a resounding victory for Israel-- A victory??-- An utterance of delusionary magnitude so apallingly bereft of factual corroboration as to elicit a frightening despair for the imminent future of our country-- The Ship of State point-blank is simply and vacuously rudderless-- This is what passes for Leadership??-- Kudos, perhaps, only for Ms. Rice's singular(was everyone else engaged by vacation?) but exemplarily tardy effort and less so for overall attempt to purposefully misunderstand the region's internecine complexities and how our top priority of shilling for Israel in this misbegotten stupidity seriously damaged overall U.S. respect and trust even amongst the most moderate once pro-western regimes-- On second thought, no kudos at all....none-- Denial is a river in Egypt and is their only option-- The U.S. foreign policy is now in complete disrepair-- Every action the Bush neocon administration has committed, demanded or endorsed in the Middle East has clearly failed to achieved his stated objectives-- Green lighted in this hubristic invasion by Mr. Bush himself Israelis everywhere are now asserting this mis-adventure is anything but success-- Hardly the victory laurel of the misinformed Decider in Chief, the prime-minister Olmert is the odds on favorite for the mantle of Loser in Chief-- There are serious questions he has yet to be asked--For one, was it criminal to send, we are now informed, reservist ground troops who complained earlier of being poorly trained and poorly equipped and poorly led into combat's meat grinder at the last moment in a vain effort to save political face??-- Hardly a question ever asked of the victor--

The analytical spinmeisters at the worlds keyboards must have spent the day a little reticent to declare the cease fire valid and who can blame them-- Mr. Bush states that he reads the resolution as Israel's right to self-defense and of course Hezbollah must be dis-armed oblivious to the fact neither is mentioned in the resolution-- What has changed over the week-end?--A foreign policy in tatters and one mountain bike-wreck later, the hopeful note is vacation is finished-- Isn't it??--