For the people who are confused about what is going on, check out www.thereligionofpeace.com and after awhile one might understand the underlying reason as to why we have no peace. If one does NOT fight back, one will get run over by people with one thing on their mind.....Jihad!!!

I guess the people of Lebanon feel like things in their own country are out of their hands. Kind of like our country, come to think of it. I think my vote will probably not count with a Venenzuelan country in charge of our voting machines. But then again, maybe it hasn't counted for a long time. The electoral college is outdated, but now with electronic voting machines that have no paper trails, even if we went to a popular vote, it wouldn't matter. It seems odd to me that we are so concerned with other countries' democracy when our own is questionable.
I hate to see innocent people hurt or killed in war, but war is war. However, I think countries should fight their own wars. Israel was attacked by Hezbollah, who apparently are a big part of the Lebanese government. Lebanon is not concerned about ridding their government of this group - they voted them in. Let Lebanon deal with their government's decision. Harsh sounding, but that's the way it is.

The Lebanese people and the Palestinian people are victims of crimes by Israel and the Israeli army. Hezbollah and Hamas are seen around the world as freedom fighter against the Israeli occupation to Lebanon and Palestine. The U.S., especially under the Bush administration, is only country which blindly support Israel due to very strong Jewish lobbying influences. Israel started its existence 58 years ago with violence and it continues exist using the same strategies. I wish media in the USA stop being such a biased and to show the correct picture of what is taking place in the Middle Eats and to stop justifying all the killing of civilians by Israel as if it is defending it self !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Peace to all Salam

Interesting that so many comments focus on whether the Lebanese people were complicit in "supporting" Hezbollah and whther they should have acted differently toward this group in order to stop this terrible series of events. I wonder how much we Americans are doing to be complicit in our own government's actions, standing by while actions are done in our name, that could well be seen as having led to a terrible series of events. And just think, our complicity is with a government in which we have a lot of rights to stand up and protest or question and our complicity is with a series of decisons that are not made in secret, but mostly right out there in the open. I wonder why we expect the Lebanese to have acted so much better than we have?

Yes, it is unfortunate when innocents are killed in the crossfire, but it has to be remembered that Hezbollah - like true cowards - store and fire their rockets from civilian areas. Some in the Lebanese Government accuse Israel of deliberately targeting civilians. But if that were so, why the leaflets warning civilians to flee? Why the smart bombs?

On one hand the Lebanese Government says "it wasn't us, it was Hezbollah". On the other hand, however, the Lebanese Defense Minister promises to have the Lebanese Army fight on behalf of Hezbollah if there is a ground invasion by Israeli troops.

Make up your mind Lebanon, are you supporting Hezbollah or not??

Israel has existed for over half a century surrounded by her enemies. Her network of spies and intellegence is far greater than the US's. Since Israel started this pre-emptive strike you can bet they knew something big and bad was going to happen to them and they chose to attack first. We (the public) are not privy to the information that they reacted to and it is pointless and stupid for armchair quarterbacks to try and second guess Israel since we don't know all the facts.

As for the victims, war has been going on for thousands of years. Innocents die in wars and while through technology we have gotten better control over bombs that fact isn't going to change. It isn't insensitivity but common sense: if a terrorist organization sets up a munitions dump in your appartment building - MOVE.
If your country has been war torn for decades - MOVE
If your country has no standing army and is overrun with armed religeous fanatics and warlord thugs - MOVE
If your family isn't safe - MOVE
There are safe places even the poorest people can get to.

There is no peaceful solution. These people in the Middle East hate each other with such a passion that they do not want to talk - they want to kill each other. This has been going on for over 50 years. No amount of US backed peace talks is going to change this. Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations that want to wipe out Israel.
They don't want to talk.

I am amazed by the fact that we send 8 billion dollars a year to Israel, and are unable to stop them.We are sending humanitarian aid to a country that our bombs are destroying. Taxpayers we are bleeding to death.
The hundreds of thousands of dollars that we are spending in Iraq, we are borrowing from China.
Soon we will be a third world country and know how feels. China will be the new super power.

Israel is acing like a spoiled child of the U.S. There actions are overly aggressive and criminal. The state of Israel should be responsible for all rebuilding of Lebannon and losses to families displaced. Further, the U.S. should give Israel no aid for their disgraceful behavior. Shame of the world communities for standing back and allowing innocent children and people to die!

Israel does have a right to defend itself however their actions excessive and disproportionate to that of Hezbollah's actions. Israel is acting like a spoiled child of the U.S., acting like a brat knowing Dad will protect them. The U.S. need to stop supporting Israel the way we do because they provide nothing to us but trouble. Further, Israel should pay for all the damages. Last week India was attacked by terrorist who are harbored by our friend Pakistan, if India did what Israel is doing they would be condemned by the U.S. So why not the same reaction for Israel. What gives Israel this almighty authority to kill innocent civilians! Where is the outrage.

The saddest thing about this conflict is what it's doing to Lebanon and her innocent people whose spirits are being shredded and who are losing all hope for their country. Of course Israel would deny this, but obviously she is destroying Lebanon in order to save her. She is committing war crimes.

Had Israel been smart, she would have figured out how to ferret out Hezbollah (I know how they'd managed to set up in residential areas, using innocent civilians in those places as "human shields") and aim her wrath directly at them, keeping "collateral damage" to a minimum. As for the kidnapping of the 2 Israelis which got this all started, what happened to Israeli intelligence? I mean, couldn't they have covertly searched for and found where the hostages were being held, then mounted a rescue mission?

When all is said and done, Lebanon is going to need massive recovery aid. There ought to be a way to have the UN do it and/or take it out of Israel's hide because American taxpayers, between obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the continuing struggle to rebuild the Gulf Coast (and perhaps other disaster areas once this year's hurricane season is over) are already strapped.

Why is this woman looking for help outside of her own country? Why is she and her countrymen so unwilling to help themselves but expect others to come in a rush to save them? She, and her family she claims to be so worried about, support outside terrorist organizations that opperate in her country. These organizations want a high death rate amoung the citizens of Lebanon to promote more of the same cowardly actions from others. So, when the terrorists were setting up rockets in her neighborhood she did what? That is the story I want to hear, not the one where it is the rest of the worlds problem to risk lives and invest money to help where she would not.

The people of Lebanon needto live up to their responsibility in this entire mess. As we said when we were children; you start it and i'll finish it. Now they cry pity pity,..absolutely not.

Vanessa thank you for posting your response to Dawns question. Please know your work is of the most important value and posting YOUR words to all us back home hopefully will bring you along with your colleagues some measure of emotional release. Please post again when you can. I am confident access will be available to you and your colleagues to communicate your own experinces to all of us back home when time and circumstance permits.

If you keep poking at a dog, sooner or later the dog will bite.

Every nation that has felt the effects of Fundemental Muslims say, Amen!

Muslim = Convert or die