Posted on 08/14/2006 1:27:59 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
President Bush said Monday that Hezbollah guerillas suffered a defeat at the hands of Israel in their monthlong Mideast war.
"There's going to be a new power in the south of Lebanon," Bush said.
The president also said the war was part of a broader struggle between freedom and terror and "we can only imagine how much more dangerous this conflict would be if Iran had the nuclear weapon it seeks."
Bush said Iran and Syria were the primary sponsors of Hezbollah guerrillas who captured two Israeli soldiers, igniting the battle with Israel. More than 900 people were killed in the fighting, and there was massive destruction in southern Lebanon.
Bush said the "responsibility for this suffering lies with Hezbollah."
The president spoke at the State Department after conferring with his national security team, first at the Pentagon and then at the State Department. He was flanked by Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Bush said the U.N. cease-fire resolution was "an important step forward that will help bring an end to the violence."
"We certainly hope the cease-fire holds," he said.
"Lebanon can't be a strong democracy when there is a state within a state and that's Hezbollah," Bush said.
"Hezbollah attacked Israel without any knowledge of the (Lebanese) government. Hezbollah attacked Israel. Hezbollah started the crisis, and Hezbollah suffered a defeat in this crisis," the president said.
In the Mideast, there were competing claims about who came out on top in the war that claimed more than 900 lives.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the war had shifted the strategic balance in the region and eliminated the "state within a state" run by Hezbollah, restoring Lebanon's sovereignty in the south.
But Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said his guerrillas achieved a "strategic, historic victory" against Israel.
They'll be back...
Roaches are hard to get rid of once they have a foothold.
I respectfully disagree. They are dancing in the streets and not from the end of our ropes.
Yeah and he says our borders are secure enough too.
As soon as the hezzies have rearmed they will be fighting again. During this lull in action of course Iranian and Syrian resupply convoys won't be touched.
Another day, another weak GWB spin to cover up another GWB gaff...
They have also boosted confidence throughout the region, having as one analyst put it "put up a better resistance" than any Arab army or combination thereof in earlier wars.
They lost people and ground...but they are turning the propoganda and PR war to their favor by simply having fought the IDF (who were not gioven the green light to go in and do the job they way it should be done...with extreme prejudice) to this cease-fire without being destroyed.
In as much as we in the US, in any way, pulled the IDF to such a table, or hindered them from an all-out fight against Hezbollah, UN, EU, Liberals, leftists, and fundamental Islamics, be damned, we are guilty of almost surely ensuring that there will be worse later.
For arabs this is a propaganda war, with western media falling over themselves to serve them.
They would be dancing in the streets if New York had been blown up. It doesn't mean anything.
It is up to Bush and the Israelis to put pressure on the UN and Lebanon to not allow Hizollah to rearm, under the threat of all out war.
Sorry Mr. President, but you screwed up. You shuld have let Isreal finish the @%#$%*Ds off.
Beruit, Hez-Ebola celebrate victory with fireworks
For crying out loud - he stalled for four weeks waiting for the Israelis to finish the fight but Ohlmert wouldn't take a full swing. At some point ya gotta get tired of holding the guy's coat.
The problem is the Bush was afraid that the Iraq situation was gojng to be negatively affected by this war, still holding out for the "desire" of the Iraqis to embrace "freedom".
The problem is that the Iraqis don't care for freedom, if it means freedom for terrorists to make their life hell. They would be happy to have a dictator now that would establish law and order in their country.
""This is a mistake. A big mistake. We have exerted a great effort to prevent any reactions (from Hizbollah supporters) because what happened was insulting. I call on the people, the resistance lovers and supporters to pass over what they have heard," the Shi'ite cleric said."
Aint it grand to see their House in a state of war. Simply grand. You know they aren't going to stop making trouble around the world until they can't sleep comfortably below the citadel.
Israel beat the hell out of them militarily but they have nothing to show for it and the main reason for going to war is still a reason, the kidnapped soldiers are still kidnapped.
One thing is for sure, there is no victory as long as Nasrallah is still sucking air.
Bush needs to kick the visiting Andy Card out of his office.
Oh and it just confirms to these cretins that their only (fatalistic) hope is to send over missiles with a lot more pop. A lot more. I expect to wake to the news our air force and navy has blown a hole through Iran's arse.
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