Israeli Prime Minister Olmert on Qana

Hezbollah used Qana as base to launch 100s of rockets", so we decided to kill all the women and children who are launching these rockets.

I proudly announce to the Israeli nation that we have succeeded in killing a large number of the women and children of the enemy today, and will kill more tomorrow.

This is the essence of Zionism. And we shall continue to kill their women and children; this has been the mission of our proud IDF.

And if anybody protests, we can easily call those women and children terrorists--whether they are PLO, Hizbullah, Communists, it does not matter.

As the only democracy in the Middle East, we have the moral duty to kill their woman and children. I ask the people of Israel to stand behind the Israeli army in its moment of glory as they continue to kill the women and children of Lebanon and Palestine.   more »

The real motive behind the initiative is to “militarize” the area south of the Litani River and “ethnically cleanse” the predominantly Muslim population. This is how Bush intends to stealthily annex more Lebanese land and create a new de-facto northern border for Israel.

Hezbollah should reject this offer outright as a violation of its national sovereignty and an obvious attempt occupy its southern flank.

If Bush and Blair believe that this is a reasonable offer, then they should not object to “militarizing” the ’67 borders between Israel and Palestine. That would force Israel to accept the “unanimous ruling of the international body” in resolution 242 demanding that Israel withdraw to the pre-war borders.

Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah would undoubtedly give greater consideration to the present plan if the UN demonstrated that it was as willing to provide the same security guarantees for the Palestinians as it is for the Israelis.   more »

Dozens of children were feared dead today after Israeli missiles struck the southern Lebanese village of Qana, flattening houses on top of sleeping residents.

Survivors said that more than 50 adults and children had died. Rescuers aided by villagers were digging by hand to look for casualties.

The bodies of at least 27 children were found in the rubble, said Abu Shadi Jradi, a civil defence official at the scene.

At least 10 children's bodies had been pulled out, placed in plastic bags and loaded in ambulances, he said.

"We want this to stop," shouted villager Mohammed Ismail. " May God have mercy on the children. They came here to escape the fighting. They are hitting children to bring the fighters to their knees."   more »

Blair and Bush want to send a combat force into southern Lebanon. Well, I shall be there, I suppose, to watch its swift destruction in an orgy of car and suicide bombings by the same organisation that yesterday fired another new longer-than-ever range missile that landed near Afula in Israel.

The Lebanese government - democratically elected and hailed by a US administration which threw roses at its prime minister after the US state department claimed a "cedar revolution" - has just caught the Americans off guard, producing a peace package to which the Hizbollah has reluctantly agreed, starting with an immediate ceasefire.

Can Washington ignore the decision of a democratic government? Of course it can. It is encouraging Israel to continue its destruction of the democratically elected Hamas government in Gaza and the West Bank.

So stand by for an "increase" in the "urgency" of diplomacy - and for more women with their skin torn open by cluster bombs.   more »