An honest broker for peace?

While Condoleeza "I had no idea the job of the National Security Advisor was national security" Rice trots off to the Middle East in a "show of support for Lebanon", the United States expidites bomb shipments to Israel:

WASHINGTON, July 21 — The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, American officials said Friday.

The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with relatively little debate within the Bush administration, the officials said. Its disclosure threatens to anger Arab governments and others because of the appearance that the United States is actively aiding the Israeli bombing campaign in a way that could be compared to Iran’s efforts to arm and resupply Hezbollah.

The munitions that the United States is sending to Israel are part of a multimillion-dollar arms sale package approved last year that Israel is able to draw on as needed, the officials said. But Israel’s request for expedited delivery of the satellite and laser-guided bombs was described as unusual by some military officers, and as an indication that Israel still had a long list of targets in Lebanon to strike.

Words fail me yet again. Crap like this is supposed to HELP?

And the stage is being set for a repeat of 1914:

As Israel tightened its grip on a strategic border village seized in south Lebanon, Syria fuelled fears the fighting could spread by issuing a warning that it would intervene if Israel dared launch a full-out invasion of Lebanon.

And if Israel attacks Syria, Iran has already pledged to weigh in on the side of Syria.

Maybe that "World War 3" talk ISN'T so funny, after all.

Archiduke Ferdinand, meet Gilad Shalit.