"HH: What would you do if you were given ten minutes with the prime minister, Olmert, tonight? What would you advise him to do?
VDH: I would have him through intermediaries tell Mr. Assad, and tell the Lebanese government, that I have six to seven to eight steps that are going to take place. And the first is, I'm going to eliminate all the power grids in Syria and Lebanon if this happens, and that would be X number of rockets. And then I would say if you go beyond that line, you're not going to have any highway system. If you go on to this, you're not going to have any air transportation systems. And I would map it out over about a thirty day period. And I'd say this is your choice, but this is what's going to happen. It's not negotiable. And then let them deal with their own militants, and discuss, and find a face-saving way out. And then tell the Israeli people you're at war, and mobilize. And I think that that would be about the only thing they could do. I would not invade. I wouldn't get on the ground in Lebanon and Syria.
HH: And what do you want to hear the President say over the course of these events unfolding this weekend and next week? .........
VDH: George W. Bush would have to tell the Arab world this is not your fight. These are people who are terrorists, who've tried to attack governments throughout the Middle East, and they understand that Iran was facing sanctions at the U.N., so Iran sicked Hezbollah, Hamas, was facing popular revolt, and it could not govern, so it's unleashed these terrorists. And don't get involved in this, because they're just using you. And I don't think that message will resonate very much in the Middle East, but that's what he's got to do. And then he's privately got to tell Israel, whatever you do, you've got to do it with overwhelming force, and quick, and don't get involved on the ground with these people. "
Good advice. I hope they take it.
I think he is parroting what he knows has already been said.