Bush Backs Israel's Claim of Victory Over Hezbollah, Which Declares They Were the Winners

President Bush said yesterday (August 14th) that Israel had defeated Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, backing Israel's claim of victory, while at the same time Hezbollah's leader said they were the real winners of the month-long war. Bush also said that Hezbollah, which sparked the crisis when it abducted two Israeli soldiers, was to blame for the deaths of hundreds of Lebanese civilians in Israeli airstrikes.

Speaking after a United Nations-brokered ceasefire took effect early in the day, Bush said, "Hezbollah attacked Israel. Hezbollah started the crisis, and Hezbollah suffered a defeat in this crisis." He echoed Israel's contention that it had eliminated the, quote, "state within a state" run by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and in response to Hezbollah claims that they'd won, said the militant group has a, quote, "fantastic propaganda machine." Bush also criticized Iran and Syria for backing Hezbollah, and portrayed the war as part of a broader struggle between freedom and terrorism.

On the other side, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah declared a, quote, "strategic and historic victory," saying in a televised statement, "We emerged from the battle with out heads high, and our enemy is the one who is defeated." In response to comments from several Lebanese politicians that Hezbollah should disarm, Nasrallah said it was the wrong time to talk about the issue. He also said Hezbollah would start repairing bomb-damaged homes in Lebanon, and would pay a year's rent and other costs to help the owners of about 15,000 destroyed homes.

Sorry George, you're all wet on this one! Don't lie to me! This was a draw at best. Hezbollah took on one of the most powerful armies on the planet and survived to fight another day. Israel didn't get what they wanted, their two soldiers back. Hezbollah has time to regroup and rearm. How can anyone see that as a victory for Israel? The US needs to get out of the way and let Israel crush the beast once and for all!