I'll write you what I just wrote in an email to someone else.......
I understand the frustration people have that the U.S. is always expected to step up to the plate while everyone else seems to just sit and watch. In fact I was complaining last week to a friend about everyone expecting the U.S. to have to take the lead in Darfur.
But THIS is NOT a situation to grumble about having to get involved. The Israelis are allies and helping them serves our interests as well.
Getting rid of Hezbollah, the current Iranian regime, Assad, Hamas, etc, is in our best interest and I hope we act on it soon.
Our safety and future is at stake. (not to mention the rest of the world) We know no one else will take the lead. And who else is really feared by the rogue nations except maybe the Russians and Chinese? And they're certainly not going to step in for the good of the world.
So, we have to.
I agree that we have to quietly back Israel. Emphasis on quietly.
We don't want to give an excuse to those who are already chomping at the bit to further engage us. Right now, Egypt and some others are steering clear of entanglement. We have to be careful not to nudge them toward the dark side.
We should pressure Turkey to seal its border with Syria, and institute a tight barrier on the Iraqi side. Then let Israel further isolate and decimate the Hezbollah (Iranian) influence.
At the appropriate time, we should assist Lebanon to re-establish secular civilian control in a democratic forum, perhaps with U.S. reconstruction (military) aid.
Jordan, Syria, and Egypt should receive a clear but low-key message that they should sit this one out.