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.
Timmy asks Biden if the President has paid enough attention to the situation. Biden says the Prez doesn't have a policy or a plan (surprise). Newt says it would be wrong to put pressure on the victim (Israel).
Since, Rice avoided MTP, Wallace is trying to be MTP lite.
Chris Wallace needs a name for this thought process, where somebody like Iran tries to divert attention by shooting missiles; I nominate "The Clinton Strategy" as an appropriate title.
Sorry, I learned the hard way myself that when the govt. issues travel warnings (by the State dept., I believe) you need to listen to them and not ignore them because you have business interests or other interests that come first.
I consistently ignored travel warnings to the country of Haiti. Five days before my 40th birthday I got caught in the middle of a mini civil war when Duvalier was flow to France.
I have since learned to pay attention to travel warnings as some 5,500 people were killed over the next two weeks.
Finally I got out, but it was a life-changing event for me.