Israel/Lebanon crisis



Dozens more die as air strikes continue

United States to Israel: you have one more week to blast Hizbullah

Bush 'gave green light' for limited attack, say Israeli and UK sources

The US is giving Israel a window of a week to inflict maximum damage on Hizbullah before weighing in behind international calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon, according to British, European and Israeli sources.

The Bush administration, backed by Britain, has blocked efforts for an immediate halt to the fighting initiated at the UN security council, the G8 summit in St Petersburg and the European foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.

"It's clear the Americans have given the Israelis the green light. They [the Israeli attacks] will be allowed to go on longer, perhaps for another week," a senior European official said yesterday. Diplomatic sources said there was a clear time limit, partly dictated by fears that a prolonged conflict could spin out of control.

So basically what Bush has said is 'Israel you have two weeks to go wild', not very comforting. The death toll has risen to about 295 people, while nations struggle to evacuate citizens.

It is outrageous the way Israel is collectively punishing the Lebanese people, their reponse is over the top. Not to mention the ongoing misery in the Gaza Strip, my Rafah nurse friend says things are very complicated where he is at the moment.

Not forgetting that other place of death and destruction - Civil war spreads across Iraq as bomb at Shia mosque kills 59