It's easy to say this, but not realistic at the moment. However, this is the worrying Israeli trend, towards assigning the Lebanese state responsibility for Hezbullah's actions:Israeli Minister of Environment Gideon Ezra said on Wednesday that Israel now considered the Lebanese state a target as the Lebanese cabinet had legitimized Hezbollah’s weapons. The minister stated that if Hezbollah waged war against its southern neighbor, Israel would attack Lebanon’s infrastructure.  During the... Read Full Story

It is truely remarkable that the US criticises Russia over Georgia. The basis for the criticism, that is thought to distinguish Russia's invasions from US invasions is that Russia attacked a DEMOCRATIC government, whereas the US only attack dictatorships. Firstly, I don't really see how the manner of government is relevent, even if, say, the human rights violations within a state are relevent to the legitimacy of an invasion (and then, if human rights are taken seriously, the violations have... Read Full Story

Are these stories related? (Siniora was a Nasserist from Saida):Prime Minister Fouad Siniora arrives to IraqPsychologist commits triple murder and takes his own life Read Full Story

Glad (if there are lights on), not glad (that it has to come from Egypt as some kind of 'puppet supports puppet' show): Egypt has agreed to supply Lebanon with electricity and natural gas to help alleviate the country's chronic energy shortage. The deal is seen as a sign of Egyptian support for the national unity government of Fouad Siniora, Lebanon's prime minister, who held talks with Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president, in Alexandria at the weekend. Mr Siniora said energy ministers from... Read Full Story

So there is intelligent life in the American University of Beirut, after all: http://www.aub.edu.lb/news-events/activities/birds/AUB-birds.pdf Read Full Story

One wonders how many more deaths Israel has caused: General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of staff of the Russian Military revealed Tuesday the extent of the military assistance Moscow claimed Jerusalem had given Georgia. "Israel armed the Georgian army," he told reported at a press conference held in the Russian capital. According to Nogovitsyn, Israel provided Georgia with "eight types of military vehicles, explosives, landmines and special explosives for the clearing minefields... Read Full Story

Children of Islamist prisoners detained in Roumieh protest in front of the United Nations headquarters (ESCWA) in downtown of Beirut, Lebanon, 19 August 2008. About 200 women and children supporters of Islamist groups protested in the Lebanese capital Beirut demanding the release of scores of prisoners suspected of plotting or carrying out militant attacks that fought a 15-week battle in 2007 with the army in and around the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared north of Tripoli... Read Full Story

SLA soldiers say Israel now treats them 'like dogs' Daily Star - Tuesday, August 19, 2008 About 100 Southern Lebanese Army (SLA) soldiers living in Israel demonstrated Sunday outside the Kirya army base in Tel Aviv against the discrimination they have suffered in the Jewish state, Israeli media reported. "Eight years have lapsed since the pullout from Lebanon and with it, the arrival of numerous SLA fighters who assisted the Israeli army and who are presently complaining about inequality in... Read Full Story

In Georgia, Russia sends clear message US, Israeli influence will not be tolerated Analysis BY Theodore Karasik DUBAI: South Ossetian separatists, supported by Moscow, escalated their machine-gun and mortar-fire attacks against neighboring Georgian villages last week. In response, Georgia attacked the separatist capital South Ossetian Tskhinvali with artillery to suppress fire. Tskhinvali suffered severe damage, thus providing the pretext for Moscow's invasion of Georgia. Russians in... Read Full Story

YNet: This immense Iranian project cannot be stopped by bombing one facility or another. In the early 1980s, there was one core reactor that Iraq received from France. The moment it was destroyed, the project was eliminated. This time around, we are dealing with a monster being built before our eyes and the eyes of the world. Only intense international persuasion could, perhaps, take this project off track. More Read Full Story