Middle East woes

I don’t like writing blog entries about the Middle East. This is partly because the picture there is so depressing and partly because so much is written about the area that what I have to say would add absolutely nothing.

Nevertheless, I would like to make several points. The first concerns Blair’s unflinching support for Bush, not a millimetre hither or thither. There is a lot of spin and humbug in politics, yet in the current Lebanon crisis there is not even the pretence of impartiality. There is unflinching support for Israel. Not even call for proportion. What signal does this send to moderates, who the West is so keen to cultivate?

The ease with which Israel has been able to ride roughshod over Lebanon sends another powerful signal to nations in the region and elsewhere. Arm yourself or perish! Weakness invites aggression.

Finally, there is the nauseating suggestion that this is good for Lebanon. Let me be clear: it is not in any nation’s interest to have an armed group within its borders. But the idea that killing hundreds of Lebanese civilians in retaliation for the kidnap of two soldiers is good for Lebanon beggars belief.