Another disaster to the ledger

Israel's ill conceived over-reaction (to a legitimate concern) has managed to accomplish not a hell of a lot -- after being given the green light, if not a slap on the ass from the Bush Adminisration. If the cease-fire can "hold" so to speak, at least it will end the carnage, while the bill for the damage and death gets paid...though not the grudge. Although first Lebanon and and especially Hezbullah have to agree too.

All-in-all this has been about as pyrrhic a non-victory for the Israelis as Iraqistan has been for the United States. In both cases, at best tactical draws when victory was expected and required.

But strategically, oh man, the legacy of Iraq and this smaller, shorter war, are going to be very bad. The hollow shells of the world superpower and the regional one have been exposed in all their (non)glory.

Bush isn't satisfied to lost his own wars through overconfidence and incompetence, no he has to have it spread.

He's "Typhoid Georgie"