The Beeb's Paul Reynolds opined that Israel's strike on Qana would pressure the U.S. into pushing for an early ceasefire.

He would appear to be wrong.

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NATO is now responsible for military operations in southern Afghanistan. Here's the BBC story.

Here's a BBC streeter with Afghans asking about the presence of foreign troops on their soil.

Increasing numbers of American men between 30 and 55 who got chopped in various downsizings are choosing to give up on work rather than take a demeaning gig. While those predominantly affected are undereducated blue-collar men, the ranks include dot-com-ers from the boom times and former executives.

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Canadian journalist Blake Lambert, whom the Ugandan government punted out of the country in March for doing his job, saw my original post on a BBC editor's musings about how the despite the far higher human carnage in Congo, for example, the Middle East will dominate in the news.

He sent me a lengthy note that was pretty informative. I asked him if I could post it, and he graciously said yes. Here it is:

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In AP stories posted on CTV.ca, the point is made that the ferocious Israeli assault on Hezbollah is making the Shiite militant group folk heroes throughout the Arab world, especially its leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah. In response, even pro-U.S. governments find themselves forced to shift their criticism to Israel. Part of the irony is that Hezbollah's popularity had been on the wane in south Lebanon in recent times.

Here's a BBC analysis that finds much the same thing:

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Vancouver author Deborah Campbell wrote an article for The Tyee on what she sees as some of the essential books on the Middle East.

A few weeks ago, CTV.ca got an email from a Canadian fellow offering to tell about his UN posting in south Lebanon.

After checking it out, the guy seemed legit, and so we posted his story.

Tragically, Major Paeta Hess-von Kruedener was the Canadian who is missing and presumed dead following the Israeli bombardment of that post on Tuesday.

Update

The major's wife, Cynthia Hess-von Kruedener, spoke to the media today. Story and video at CTV.ca.

Update 2

Over at MyBlahg, Robert McLelland points to a post from LGFWatch about the incident. I went to Little Green Footballs myself to see if some of what was being quoted was accurate. If those who made those comments are honestly expressing their beliefs, then there's some mighty hateful people hanging out at LGF. Some examples:

#37

Texas Never Whispers  7/25/2006 05:22PM PDT

I'm finding it hard to feel bad for these so-called peacekeepers. Most of them blindly shilled for Hezbollah while attacking Israel. I do not believe that Israel intentionally targeted them, but even if they did, their anti-Israeli propaganda made them a fair target in this war. Much like the trial and execution of people like Lord Haw Haw and Tokyo Rose. Anything that would help bolster Hezobllah's morale has to be seen as a weapon.

38

baldylox  7/25/2006 05:23PM PDT

I know it sounds a bit harsh, but I wish that it were deliberate, and that Israel came right out and said so. All the UN seems to do is rape children, enable terrorists and act openly hostile towards Israel, If I'm Israel, I say any UN 'Peacekeeping' teams in the region will also be subject to attack. Sorry.

#39

sms111  7/25/2006 05:23PM PDT

Dear Mr. Annan, GO FUCK YOURSELF. There is nothing more that needs to be said to this criminal.

#40

Catttt  7/25/2006 05:25PM PDT

War is hell, Mr. Annan. You get that? Me, I'm shocked at the UN peacekeepers who damaged their penises after trying to fuck goats. Silly of me to be shocked, after all the raped civilians, child abuse, abandoned children, and spreading HIV, but there you are.

#57

ted  7/25/2006 05:33PM PDT

4 Less child molesters in the world...

#94

RTLM  7/25/2006 06:05PM PDT

4 less UN terrorist collaborators. Good Job IDF

What can one say, except "wow." :(

Update 3

The major was eventually found dead. His remains arrived back in Canada on Aug. 4. CTV.ca got some email from ex-colleagues of Hess-von Kruedener and others on why Israel may have struck that UN outpost. You can find that here.

While NATO soldiers ramble over hill and dale, seeking to engage the Taliban, the insurgents are targeting soft targets like schools in an attempt to destabilize the country.

A Canadian, Mike Frastacky of Vancouver, has been one victim of this tactic. This BBC story looks at the bigger picture.

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Craig Oliver, editor of the BBC's The Ten O'Clock News, makes the following point:

 Here are some stark statistics:

• Around 30 to 40 people are killed every day in the current Israel/Lebanon conflict.

• About 100 people are killed every day in the violence in Iraq.

• And 1,200 people are killed every day in the war in the Congo.

All three of these stories are due to appear on tonight's Ten O'Clock News. They will probably run in that order - with the Middle East getting by far the most attention.

Does this say something about how we value human life? It's a fair question and one I worry about.

More in my comment below ...

Just two days ago, I had a post about Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf's international and domestic political problems -- and how the two were related.

Now, a group of retired generals is advising PPM that it would be a good idea if he weren't both president and chief of staff of the army.

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The European Court of Human Rights is to rule on the case of a Chechen man who disappeared in 1999. One of the reasons there is a case is because TV cameras captured a Russian general giving orders to shoot the guy.

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Poor President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan. To his west, he has Afghanistan bitching that he's providing a Taliban sanctuary. To his east, India accuses him of supporting militant Kashmiri Islamists. And that's not even mentioning his domestic difficulties.

Respected Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid tries to make sense of it all.

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An NYT story on how places like New York and Boston are becoming out of reach to middle income earners. Economists say that's not necessarily a bad thing, but social scientists beg to differ.

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This NYT story looks at how the U.S. wants to break up the alliance of convenience between Syria and Iran and get Syria to dump support for Hezbollah by getting the U.S.'s client states to put the word out.

Good luck to them! :)

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Haaretz profiles Amir Peretz, Israel's relatively dovish defence minister who backs the very hard line being taken in Lebanon.

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From the NYT:

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.

This BBC story looks at the skyrocketing stock of Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah amongst the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.

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Ta Mok (born Chhit Choeun), one of the most brutal Khmer Rouge commanders and its last leader, has died in a military hospital at age 82. That leaves Kaing Khek Iev, a KR prison commander, as the only leader from that band of ideological psychopaths left to face trial in Cambodia, according to this BBC story. There's also an obit about Mok.

Justice delayed is justice denied. :(

And the KRs committed their crimes against humanity between 27 and 31 years ago, yet only now are they on the verge of coming to trial. Three of the biggest fish left alive -- Ieng Sary, Khieu Sampan and Nuon Chea -- have immunity.

Here's an interesting story on the guy.