[Peach]

Condi Rice on Fox News Sunday:

Condi says that Hezbollah acting in concert with sponsors in Iran and Syria.

Wallace: Allies talking about immediate ceasefire. Israel wants to take out Hezbollah once and for all.

Rice: Israel has a right to defend herself. No country will take rocket fire and not do anything about it. We've asked Israel to try and avoid civilian casualties. Israel will need to have the moderate allies in order to be a stable country. (That has never happened, Condi, and it never will, imo).

[Peach]

Condi: Needs two state solution.

Wallace: Danger of civilian damage. One American injured. What is our government doing to get 25,000 Americans out of Lebanon.

Condi: We've authorized departure of our personnel in our embassies. We'll do what we need to do to protect Americans.

Wallace: You said Syria nad Iran are sponsoring Hezbollah. A lot of people believe that Iran is behind all of this. Is it a coincidence that when pressure is brought to Iran, that Iran orchestrates all of this to send a message?

Condi: It is very clear that there is an Iranian hand and financing behind Hezbollah and they've made common cause with Syria. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and Syria are all trying to destabilize the area. When progress is being made in Lebanon, they have decided to disrupt that progress.

We have to say to extremists that they will not succeed.

Wallace: Secy's of State for years have gone to the region themselves and given personal shuttle diplomacy to work out a deal. Will you go personally to the region?

Condi: I'm thinking about it and assessing it. I certainly stand ready to do so when I believe I can make a difference . But there are other tentacles at play here and the UN has sent people in. Regional states are playing an important role. The G8 is discussing this.

Let's recognize that shuttling back and forth is not going to help. What kind of framework will really allow us to get out of the immediate crisis but lay a foundation so we don't have a continual problem.

[snugs]

Condi knows that but she has to say that whatever personally she believes after all she is State Department which is very similar to our Foreign and Commonwealth Office and to an extent you have to be seen to be on both sides of the argument.

[OldFriend]

Things are changing in the middle east. Particularly in Lebanon where they wish to be rid of the hezbollah factions in their country.

Most of the other arab countries are sick and tired of the palestinians. They destabilize every country and cause problems for the leaders.

Things are changing and that's why the terrorists are acting now.