“Surveys showed a majority of Israelis supported the deal [to exchange 5 jailed Lebanese militants, including a notorious killer, in return for the remains of the two Israel soldiers whose initial capture sparked the war between Israel and Hezbollah two summers ago. The deal] upheld an unwritten pact between the country’s leaders and the public: Israelis send their sons and daughters to mandatory military service, ready to go to war; leaders do everything possible to bring them home, dead or alive, from battle.

‘This closes a circle for me,’ said Ira Ben-Giat, whose son died [during the] war against Hezbollah [...] ‘I was waiting for a justification to have sacrificed my son, waiting for these two boys to return home.  Today gives me this reason, and a reason to send my other two children to the army.’”

The reason being that, if Ben-Giat’s other children happen to be captured by Hezbollah, they can first be used as justification for a disastrous war, like the one Ben-Giat’s first son died in, and later their dead bodies can be used by Hezbollah as bargaining chips to secure the freedom of criminals and killers.

“Well, it looks stupid when you write it down,” stated Ben-Giat. “That’s why it’s an unwritten pact.”

No official word yet on whether Israeli leaders will move forward with a plan to trade to Hezbollah a nuclear reactor and two F-18s in exchange for a wheelbarrow, the complete collection of Lebanon’s Funniest Home Videos on DVD, an original pressing ABBA record, and half a pack of Marlboros.

Tags: war, israel, international affairs, unwritten pact, hezbollah, lebanon’s funniest home videos

A number of countries have offered to bring in aid and deliver it from the south, by ship, but the [Burmese] junta has adamantly refused. One of the generals’ most enduring fears is a seaborne invasion by Western powers it refers to as “foreign saboteurs.”

“These guys really believe we are planning an invasion,” [U.S. diplomat Shari] Villarosa said. The United States said this week that several of its military ships were in the area and ready to provide help in Myanmar. “It’s nuts! We’re not! But if they hear that a large U.S. ship is off the coast, they don’t receive the message that it’s a genuine humanitarian effort,” she said.

You have been invited to a conference chat with MyShariVillarosaAmour. Do you accept? Y

MyShariVillarosaAmour: hello generals
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: Hello,
MyShariVillarosaAmour: i was really hoping we could discuss the logistics of aid delivery
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: We do not trust your supplies,
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: We are aware you are planning an invasion of Myanmar,
MyShariVillarosaAmour: omg i can’t believe we’re still discussing this
MyShariVillarosaAmour: we are NOT planning an invasion.  okay?
MyShariVillarosaAmour: you know what
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: Do not play games on the government of Myanmar,
MyShariVillarosaAmour: it’s extremely classified, but i don’t even care anymore
MyShariVillarosaAmour: look at this:
MyShariVillarosaAmour wants to send troops_for_deploym_may08.CLASSIFIEDL4.xls.
MyShariVillarosaAmour has sent troops_for_deploym_may08.CLASSIFIEDL4.xls.
MyShariVillarosaAmour: we have like ten remaining troops available for deployment
MyShariVillarosaAmour: we couldn’t invade you guys even if we wanted to
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: Wow, This is crazy,
MyShariVillarosaAmour: it’s completely batsh*t
BURMESEJUNTACHAT has been censored by the Chat Administrator.
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: You guys are really fuced,
MyShariVillarosaAmour: so. can we drop off aid?
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: This is awsome,
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: Yes, that is totally fine,
MyShariVillarosaAmour: thank god
President_george_w_bush has entered the conference chat.
MyShariVillarosaAmour: so: let’s talk logistics
MyShariVillarosaAmour: omg what are you doing here.
President_george_w_bush: MISSION ACOMPLISHED
MyShariVillarosaAmour has been censored by the chat administrator.
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: President Bush !!!?
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: Declaring a Mission Acomplished war !!!?
MyShariVillarosaAmour has been censored by the chat administrator.
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: We knew it !!!?
BURMESEJUNTACHAT: We will not accept your attempts at sabotage !!!?
BURMESEJUNTACHAT has left the conference chat.
MyShariVillarosaAmour has been censored by the chat administrator.
President_george_w_bush: WOOPS WRONG CHAT
President_george_w_bush: HEH LOL
MyShariVillarosaAmour: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU
President_george_w_bush: I THOUGH TIHS WAS A FUNDRASIER
MyShariVillarosaAmour: that was the F*CKING government of myanmar
President_george_w_bush: WTF IS A MYNMAR
President_george_w_bush: IS TAHT LIKE MYSPACE
MyShariVillarosaAmour: no it’s the country where the cyclone hit last week
MyShariVillarosaAmour: your wife gave a speech about it
MyShariVillarosaAmour: tens of thousands of people dying of hunger and thirst
President_george_w_bush: OHHH
President_george_w_bush: THEN WE GOTTA HELP EM
President_george_w_bush: LISTEN IVE GOT ABOUT 300 POUNDS OF LETFOVER BBQ FROM JENNABEARS WEDDING
President_george_w_bush: ILL GET CONDI TO SHIP IT OVER
MyShariVillarosaAmour: mr. president, they’re buddhists, for god’s sake
President_george_w_bush: WELL I DONT SEE WHAT THAT MEANS THEY CANT ENJOY A NICE TENDER DRUMSTCIK
MyShariVillarosaAmour:
MyShariVillarosaAmour: i really didn’t think this situation could get any sadder.

President_george_w_bush: WHICH KNID OF SAUCE SHOULD WE SEND
President_george_w_bush: DO THEY LIKE HOT FOODS OVER THERE

Tags: george w. bush, international affairs, myanmar, mission accomplished, is taht like myspace