News From The Middle East

Well, as with yesterday, we're having another hot day here and more power surges. With everybody running their A/Cs or C/A, we may have a little brownout. I'll keep the posts coming as long as I can.

With that, we start today's news:

Israel's Olmert: No cease-fire in Lebanon

Olmert has allowed a 48-hour pause in Israeli airstrikes so the military can conclude its inquiry about the attack on Qana, a Southern Lebanese village which suffered some of the worst attacks since the crisis began. Many people took this opportunity to flee to the northern part of the country. Here's hoping they get out safely.

Bush: 'Israel is exercising its right to defend itself'

And history repeats itself...only with a different country this time. Bush did the same song and dance back when the UN wouldn't give its approval of us going over to Afghanistan and then Iraq to fight "terrorists". And just like how Bush was so certain that Iraq had WMDs or the means to make them, Olmert is so sure that Hezbollah is directly tied to Iranian President Ahmadinejad and the whole of Iran, thus allowing them to claim that they are fighting the "war on terror". Sheesh.

Iran's UN envoy rejects Security Council demand

Iranian U.N. Ambassador Javad Zarif on Monday rejected a Security Council demand that Iran suspend its nuclear activities by the end of August or face the threat of sanctions, saying the action was without legal basis.

"Iran's peaceful nuclear program poses no threat to international peace and security and therefore dealing with this issue in the Security Council is unwarranted and void of any legal basis or practical utility," Zarif told the council.

And finally, we have a video of the Qana attacks. Be forewarned that this video contains graphic images. There is footage of dead children...just letting you know now.