European Union Not Happy With U.S. Posture on Lebanon
From AP:
A rift is emerging between the European Union and the United States over whether Israel should cease its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas.Heaven forbid we have any other country or geographical alliance who doesn't despise everything we stand for.
The Europeans fear mounting civilian casualties will play into the hands of militants and weaken Lebanon's democratically elected government. The Bush administration, while noting these concerns, is giving Israel a tacit green light to take the time it needs to neutralize the Shiite militant group.
The mixed message could help Israel in its mission to destroy Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Lebanon and stop the guerrillas' deadly rocket fire on Israel. But Islamic hard-liners and terrorist groups could be long-term winners, using the vivid television imagery of the death and destruction in Lebanon to win popularity and promote their jihads.
The United States, the country that holds the most sway with Israel, has said the Jewish state has the right to defend itself and that a "meaningful" cease-fire is needed — presumably one which includes the disarming of Hezbollah.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said the administration opposed a return to the situation before the outbreak of violence. "A cease-fire that would leave intact a terrorist infrastructure is unacceptable," he said.
By contrast, the EU has called for a cease-fire now and said Israel's "disproportionate" use of force is not only threatening Lebanon's democratic government but providing the fuel that extremist groups such as Hezbollah need to win public support.
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