By Simon Jones
Online Journal Contributing Writer
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1086.shtml<snip>
The inexperienced Olmert, thinking he could do in Lebanon what the US was unable to do in Iraq, ended up repeating the exact same mistakes as the US in Iraq, not to mention in Israel's own previous invasions of Lebanon. And as a result that pesky Hezbollah has managed to do what no one else has been able to do: put the fear of God back into the 'Chosen People.' This is indeed the turning point for the USreali vision, but not the one foreseen by PNAC. The failure of Israel to tame Hezbollah, coming on the heels of the failure of the US to tame Iraq, signals the death knell of PNAC and the neocons. But it turns out the Washington ear is deaf to this sweet music.
A normal US administration would have noticed the egg on Israel's face, heard the call, and helpfully sponsored a 'stiff' UN resolution ordering Israel out after a week of devastation, which of course would allow another week for Israel to delay, reluctantly pull out, and assuage the world community, which, in turn, would be left to clean up the mess without so much as a howdy-do from Israel.
But this is no ordinary US administration. It actually believes the Christian-Zionist apocalyptic nonsense about WWIII and the end of the world, and far from seeing the bits of egg as a call for help, has decided to egg Israel on, so to speak, letting it continue to wreak havoc, carpet bomb civilians, painting itself into a corner, as the US prepares to launch wars according to the now dog-eared PNAC schedule: Syria and Iran.
A nice irony -- still flush with its success against the USSR and inspired by loony Christian Zionists, the US regains control of Middle East policy by out-Izzying Israel, by serving up a clumsy parody of Likud. What Izzy wanted deep-down (and desperately needs) was a face-saving slap on the wrist. By being given carte blanche to continue its blitzkreig and being respectfully consulted on the UN resolution, it's just digging itself deeper and deeper into its blood-soaked swamp...