The Bush Administration’s message went through a dramatic evolution over the weekend. Last Friday, describing her upcoming mission to the Middle East, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said dismissively, “I can guarantee you, if you simply look for a ceasefire that acknowledges and freezes the status quo ante, we will be back here in six months again or in five months or in nine months or in a year, trying to get another ceasefire because HIzballah will have decided yet again to try and to use southern Lebanon as a sanctuary to fire against Israel.”
But on Sunday, as Rice’s U.S .Air Force 757 headed for the Middle East, she told reporters, “We believe that a ceasefire is urgent.”
So what changed? Officially nothing, most notably the U.S. position. Rice said that her own idea of a ceasefire involved “a cessation of hostilities that is going to last…The south [of Lebanon] can’t be a kind of haven for [Hizballah] to launch attacks.”
What doesn’t seem to matter is the fact that hundreds of innocent citizens are being killed on both sides. Shouldn’t Bush and Condi at least pretend to care about civilian casualities?
oh right…surprise visit. modus operadi for these guys. more news less action. so sad.