No wonder it is taking so long to get Americans out of Lebanon.

"The State Department said Tuesday it had dropped a plan to make Americans reimburse the government for the trip, but Atiyeh said he and others were asked to sign promissory notes to pay for the voyage before they could board."

Portsmouth Herald

The Bushies learned a lot from their New Orleans effort.

kurt...

This was in the article. F**king amazing:

The departure was delayed slightly because one passenger, 11-day-old infant Rawan Ali Mannoun, didn't have a passport. Her parents pleaded with embassy officials to allow them on the ship and in the end, a laissez-passer was issued for the infant. As her parents ran toward the waiting ship carrying Rawan those on the deck applauded.

I've also seen a headline indicating the U.S. is opposed to a cease-fire. (!!???)

You know George Bush does not talk with/to/at people that do not agree with him. If a Bushie wants to keep his/her job, they better not either.

kurt...

Yep! Our wonderful Secretary of State, "Con" Rice, said something like the timing isn't right for a cease fire and that a sustained peace should be the goal! Duh! In the meantime, more bombs, rockets and airstrikes are launched and more people are dying. WTF!

well, from my own point of view, this is one of those cases where I have to agree with our actions... wait until israel pounds the thugs back away from the border, and weakens them enough so that maybe their OWN government will then have the balls to take matters into their own hands. Only then will a cease fire be meaningful.
It sucks that "civilians" in all the affected areas are put at risk, but this is what hatred and ignorance breeds...

your right from your side
and i am right from mine
with one too many mornings
and a thousand miles behind

It applies to nations too! or political factions or religious zealot groups or whatever these people are. all i know is they are sorting the dead and putting them in the ground as quick as they can.

Guess we're still apes....with opposable thumbs....and points of view. I mean, look at Dubya! To quote a line from the old sit-com, Night Court, "They fool ya when they walk upright!"

Thought I posted this thought already, but it's not here...
That won't work, Arnie. Trying to kill all the "bad guys" only breeds more "bad guys." Violence begets violence. It is in man's nature, but isn't controlling one's instincts a sign of being civilized?
Don't misunderstand, I support Israel. I just believe it should be careful with its actions. Somebody needs to remind the world that what's happening in Lebanon was precipitated by Hezbollah crossing the border and kidnapping Israeli soldiers.

As far as what Condi said about opposing a ceasefire, that's all politics. The midterm elections are coming up, and the GOP looks vulnerable. What better way to court the Jewish vote?

That's just one more thing I can't stand about this country... "the Jewish vote"... "the Black vote"... "the [blank] vote"... personally, I'd love to see the entire Middle East blown to bits or totally vaporized. OK, there... I've said it. Let the chips fall where they may. I'm just totally disgusted with this crap already.

Hmmm...maybe we could talk Brainiac into shrinking the Middle East and put it in a bottle, like he did to the Kryptonian city of Kandor, and then just keep the whole danged thing on a shelf in Superman's Fortress of Solitude! Then you'd get the comic book nerd vote (that'd be me)! That's probably more likely than any sort of lasting peace happening over there.....especially with Condie workin' on the case!

This is all starting to sound like the Randy Newman song, "Political Science"....."Let's drop the Big One and see what happens!" The satirical singer/songwriter vote!

We'll save Australia. Don't want to hurt no kangaroo (or Louise)
Build an all american amusement park there.
They've got surfing too!

Reminds me of Arlos song Children of Abraham. Wish they could have peace over there but sadly it's been happening since the Bible days...

I understand your frustration, but you can't honestly mean that. Simply put, that would lead to WW III, and very likely the annihalation of the world.

"Boom! goes London and Boom! Paris (Parie)
More room for you and more room for me!
And every city, the whole world 'round
Will just be another American town"

to be continued.....your turn Goofus

Some hope to take the easy way:
Poisons, bombs. They think we need 'em.
Don't you know you can't kill all the unbelievers?
There's no shortcut to freedom.

kurt...