According to new intelligence obtained by the Israeli defense establishment, Syrian President Bashar Assad, alongside senior military officials, is directly involved in the attempts to smuggle weapons and rockets to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel
The fighting in Lebanon has underscored previous predictions that the war on terror would be a "long war" with inestimable costs and no time-line for completion - never mind about talk for a "victory" or even an "amicable solution."
A senior Israeli army officer said later that Israeli forces might have to move as far as 70km (40 miles) into Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah positions. Another said Israel expected to sustain the combat effort for another 10 days to two weeks.
The Hezbollah-Israeli debacle should also highlight to Americans the difficult position the United States faces diplomatically with "allies" around the globe.
The UK
While Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair remains steadfast in his support for US policies generally, he continues to suffer from the "George Bush's lap dog" image created by the media in Britain.
The Blair-Bush open mike G-8 luncheon discussion only highlighted Blair's subservient position to the media in Britain. Bush called Blair by his last name and Blair was the only one to notice the microphone was on. He shut it off in front of an incredulous US president.
France
A traditional Lebanese friend and ally, France has shown absolutely no support for US policies, the war on terror or the Israeli claim that they are fighting for all western nations against Arab extremists.
French President Jacques Chirac castigated Israel for its military offensive in Lebanon on Friday, calling it "totally disproportionate." In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, the French president said, "One could ask if today there is not a sort of will to destroy Lebanon, its equipment, its roads, [and] its communication."
Separately, France demurred from US initiatives to sanction Iran for its nuclear power program at a UN Security Council meeting Monday, July 31.
France has also said it should not be expected to contribute many troops to a new peacekeeping effort in Lebanon but they do continue as a part of Unifil.
Russia
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