Yes, I knew it was only a matter of time. My friend Ara, has decided that it is Bush and Condi's fault that the opinion of the Arab world has shifted in favor of Hezbollah.

He's written me off but I am a friend to the end. I don't write anyone off, I keep at it. I shall try, even now, to shake off the BDS that is gripping him hard.

Here's a clue. Remember when the American public opinion started to shift against the Iraq War? It was when all reporting focused on the body count of our soldiers rather than anything else.

My guess is that the Arab opinion might have shifted when the reporting of the civilian Lebanese body count seemed to be outnumbering the Israeli one. Also, it isn't exactly good news when the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan suggests that Israel killed U.N. observers on purpose.

Now, I'm not agreeing with any of that but I find it laughable that anyone can possibly blame Bush, Condi or the United States for any of this shit.

Blaming Bush for Arabs not liking Israel? Does that seem sane or reasonable to anyone?

I questioned your sanity when you suggested that the Democrats should say this:

Israel-Lebanon War: What Democrats Need To Say

• * Israel has a right to self-defense and self-determination.
• * Hezbollah's war is Lebanon's war. As such, UN Resolution 1559 must be completely implemented including the disarming of all militias, most notably Hezbollah.
• * Egypt, Jordan, the Saudis (at least) should support the reconstruction of Lebanon. And support it in such a way as to make it impossible for Hezbollah to hijack the country into a impossible and bloody war again in the future.
• * Israel's war is NOT America's war. It is NOT the undercard to America vs. Iran.
• * This is NOT World War III.

That's what Democrats should say.

Not because it was bad, only because you thought for a second you would see the Democrats say something like that publicly. They are Democrats, not Republicans. Republicans can say that without losing their base but Democrats? Gimme a break, they are more scared of losing their base then Maliki is of losing his head and rightly so on both counts.

Via: Cox and Forkum

A Reuters photograph of smoke rising from buildings in Beirut has been withdrawn after coming under attack by American web logs. The blogs accused Reuters of distorting the photograph to include more smoke and damage.

The photograph showed two very heavy plumes of black smoke billowing from buildings in Beirut after an Air Force attack on the Lebanese capital. Reuters has since withdrawn the photograph from its website, along a message admitting that the image was distorted, and an apology to editors. ... Adnan Hajj, the photographer who sent the altered image, was also the Reuters photographer behind many of the images from Qana – which have also been the subject of suspicions for being staged.

LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Reuters withdrew all 920 photographs by a freelance Lebanese photographer from its database on Monday after an urgent review of his work showed he had altered two images from the conflict between Israel and the armed group Hizbollah.

Global Picture Editor Tom Szlukovenyi called the measure precautionary but said the fact that two of the images by photographer Adnan Hajj had been manipulated undermined trust in his entire body of work.

"There is no graver breach of Reuters standards for our photographers than the deliberate manipulation of an image," Szlukovenyi said in a statement.

"Reuters has zero tolerance for any doctoring of pictures and constantly reminds its photographers, both staff and freelance, of this strict and unalterable policy."

Well now, that is interesting. Staging photos to make Israel look like war criminals. Who would've ever thought such was possible? Besides most conservative bloggers and Ara, I mean.