Very well-written. Not sure that I would go along with all your policy suggestions but your basic analysis, that America is losing badly, is spot on. About time more Americans turned off Fox News and realised this.
Good Point, My paper of choice, The Independent , is generally left-wing and pro-Palestinian. However, it has run several pro-Israeli columns and letters this week, as well as reporting from northern Israel. This is as it should be. I'm quite sure that the other English "qualities" - The Guardian , The Times , The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times - have also been running pro and anti-Israel piec
"No, you refer to it as a guerrilla war. Lahoud has referred to them as their national resistance," I am not Emile Lahoud, the president of Lebanon. If you're upset with a word he's used to describe Hezbollah, I suggest you take it up with him. "The same way Israel is supposed to. Either by negotiations with the parties in question, by international intervention, or by force with international help if necessary." My point is
"Again, it is the doublespeak we constantly get. Somehow "diplomacy" will make the whole thing go away so long as people don't drop bombs, but somehow it would be impossible for Lebanon to foster an end to the attacks on Israel. Bullshit, frankly." No, the only thing that is happening "again" is that you are refusing to answer a simple question. How can the Lebanese army disarm Hezbollah? "Condemning kill ratios and pretending that H
BakerStreet, "God you make me sick, OG San. Hezbollah is a 'guerrilla army' as much as the beloved IRA was." I very much hope you are not implying that I support the IRA. Anyone who knows me will tell you this is emphatically not the case. "So, I'm glad you admit that Lebanon didn't want to accept UN Security Council Resolution 1559, but refused it not because they couldn't, but because they didn't want to." Actually
Larry, I'm fine thanks for asking, hope you are well also. "the government of Lebanon refused to comply with a UN resolution to disarm that organization" Once again, explain the modalities of this to me. How exactly is the Lebanese army supposed to achieve this? The IDF couldn't achieve it. Do you support all UN resolutions or just the ones which are in Israel's interests? I would very much like to see 1559 being
One final thing which is pissing me off. What's all this crap about "Lebanon took the arrogant step of refusing to disband Hezbollah"? Even assuming that the Lebanese government wanted to disband Hezbollah, how would this be achieved? The Lebanese army is not exactly a great fighting force. The IDF had 18 years to "disband" Hezbollah and couldn't do it. So how can an infinitely weaker army get the job done? The reason that Hezbollah
As for the point about Hezbollah "cowardice", wind your necks in. Hezbollah is hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned by the IDF. If, as some of Israel's friends seem to want, Hezbollah were to act like a conventional army and engage the IDF in pitched battle, it would be all over in five minutes. Instead Hezbollah plays to its strenghts by enagaging in guerilla war, which means ambush and retreat. That's what the IRA did, what the PL
God, I don't know where to start. Mythical Mino, I am not forgeting suicide bombs in the least. They are appaling. But it is simply untrue to say that dozens of Israelis are being killed in this manner "nearly every day." The most recent suicide bombing which I could find was the Islamic Jihad attack in southern Tel Aviv in April. UBoB, My point is that there are no good guys. Larry, S
Two weeks into the latest conflict in the Middle East, the casualty figures make interesting reading. US-sponsored Israel has sent 422 Lebanese to an early grave while Hezbollah (brought to you by Iran and Syria) has killed 42 people. In other words, the Jewish state, armed and backed by the world’s richest country, has maintained a ten-to-one kill ratio i
Watching the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, I find myself thinking what the reaction would have been if something similar had happened in my own country during the Troubles. Imagine the scenario: It is 1986 and the IRA have kidnapped two British soldiers and smuggled them across the border to the Irish Republic, saying they will only be freed
A friend of mine describes it as "the unrequited hate affair" - the fact that while many Scots hate the English, the cursed Sassenach tends to reciprocate with something approaching bored indifference. Certainly my erstwhile colleague is right to note the depth of hostility which the Scots harbour towards their southern neighbours. But why should this be so?
Chak, Regarding the Golden Ball, voting closed at half-time in the final so wasn't influenced by the head-butt. It seems to me that French opinion is in tune with island gurl as quoted above. It's important to note that France would probably still have lost if Zidane had stayed on. In this sense, he let himself down rather than the team or the country.
Enoch Powell once observed that all political careers end in failure - a prophecy which he himself went on to fulfil. But the same can not be said about football. Some players do indeed keep gong long after their legs have given out and their best years have passed into memory. That’s why God invented Tottenham Hotspur. But others choose the time of their departure wi
Come on, get off the fence I'm saying France.
Just four teams left now and, following under-par performances by Brazil and Argentina in the quarter-finals, it's an all European final four for the first time since 1982. Let's see how my predictions went: Germany v Argentina, Friday 16:00 Such a shame that the two teams who have played the most attractive football have to meet so early. This wo
Good stuff from the French against Brazil, I really hope they stuff cheating Portugal in the semis. "And in 66 (was it?), we eliminated them to face Germany in finals. So...*gulp*" It was the quarter-finals in 1986 when France beat Brazil 2-0. I am (unfortunately) old enough to remember that game. Platini was in his pomp back then, shirt untucked, socks round his ankles, bossing the game.
I did alright last time predicting the last sixteen but the quarters are a trickier proposition, given that there is likely to be less between the teams. Germany v Argentina, Friday 16:00 Such a shame that the two teams who have played the most attractive football have to meet so early. This would have made a great final. Argentina have so many match-win
With eight games still to play, this World Cup has already seen a record number of red cards, with 25 players given their marching orders, compared to 22 in France eight years ago. Much has been made of the poor refereeing which has led to this rash of dismissals. Undoubtedly some officials have performed ineptly - not least Three Yellows Poll and Valentin Ivanov who
Oh dear. Having set sail under a strong wind in the group stage, the good ship World Cup has been dashed onto the rocks by a combination of player cynicism and referee incompetence. The last sixteen was a rather disappointing round, with too many games decided by the officials. The final game of the lot - Spain versus France - provided the bulk of the good football al
With the combative attitude of the prop forward he once was, my Irish history teacher Mr. Armstrong was the perfect debating opponent. As he guided us through the dramatic years from 1912-23 which led to the formation of the two Irish states, he constantly challenged the assumptions of the only nationalist in the class - me. Davie (as we called him behind hi
Apologies for the shitty layout of the groups. I can't work out how to line it up properly. Any suggestions?
We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2006 World Cup and half of the 32 teams in this year’s competition are making their way home. So what have we learnt from the group stage of the world’s greatest sporting spectacle? The first thing to say is that, as ever, some groups have been tougher than others. Those who have successfully navigated groups C, E and
Thanks a lot for that very detailed response. I'll do another artcle when the group stage finishes at the end of the week.
We're almost half-way through the group stage of the planet's greatest sporting spectacle so I thought I would offer these thoughts on World Cup 2006 to date: * First off, just how good are Argentina? Serbia and Montenegro have (had?) one of Europe's best defences, but Crespo and co battered them yesterday 6-0. Tevez and Messi can't even get in the starting
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