Today's Headline: Israel Kills Lebanese Civilians! So not only is Israel not allowed to defend themselves for the last 30 years, but now they have to be careful when they do that they don't hurt civilians? Why do the U.S. and Israel have to live up to different rules than every other nation? Did we cede our right to self-defense?

This Publius blogger says that Olmert was put in an untenable position, make a decision quickly to prove that you are in charge.

Houston Newspaper quoted by Austin Bay:

"Israeli officials said a defeat of Hezbollah, a radical Shiite militia with strong ties to Syria and Iran, would send an important message to the region and would help Israel in its efforts to undermine the power of Hamas in the Palestinian Authority. They argued it would also help the weak Lebanese government assert control over the entire country.
…
Israeli officials said that their strategy was to diminish or destroy the power of Hezbollah, which has created “a state within a state” in southern Lebanon, and to ensure that the Lebanese army replaced Hezbollah on the border with Israel, as demanded by the United Nations.
“We’ve decided to put an end to this saga and to change the rules of the game whereby a terrorist organization that is part of the Lebanese government can push the region to the abyss,” said Isaac Herzog, a member of the Israeli security Cabinet.