Mid-East Chaos

While Baghdad burns, Tyre, Beirut, Haifa and other Mid-East towns and cities quiver, let's not forget Gaza. The Hezbollah kidnappings were a reaction to what Israel was doing in Gaza, so this remains relevant. Everything that happens in that region is relevant to everything else. The destabilization of Iraq and Bush Administration threats against Iran resulted in the Mullahs deciding to show Washington how they can sow war and chaos around the region.

People are defending all the different parties but all are to blame, especially the U.S. for disengaging in diplomatic peace efforts for six years. Ignoring a hotspot like this is not a recipe for anything but disaster. Engaging in the blame game only fires up the rhetoric and launches more missiles, bombs and rockets.

Israel says it has a right to defend itself. Hezbollah says the soldiers they kidnapped weren't in Israel but in the occupied Golan Heights (technically Syria). Israel says Hezbollah is holding its two soldiers, Hezbollah points to the 10,000 Palestinians Israel has inprisoned. Back and forth, back and forth. War won't solve these disputes, only diplomacy can. It's time for a cease fire and real leadership to bring the parties to the negotiating table.