The Endless Round of Middle East YaddaYaddaYadda

Gigi Geyer has an interesting sum-up of how a family counselor would handle the yammering and kvetching and canoodling and screeching among the various parties in the region and of course, the US and EU.

I was under the impression that Syria had "only" five intelligence agencies, but that was a decade ago from the Syrian Oil Minister, and maybe Boy-Assad has added nine more for good measure, or the Minister was lacking knowledge, or Ms. Geyer is misinformed, but what are intelligence agencies for, but to give multiple impressions of their existence or non-existence?

Also, I am afraid that Condi Rice was set up by the Israelis if she left Israel under the impression of a "consensus" being formed and immediately thereafter, Olmert announces a new ground and air offensive. I only met him once, when he was mayor of Jerusalem, but being a PM during wartime can turn one's head, and Olmert might be saying "all in" with the US not knowing his hand. Or daring to call.

Meanwhile, US crazy-aunt-in-the-attic Gee Ma Carter creates his own delusional cocoon:

Leaders on both sides ignore strong majorities that crave peace, allowing extremist-led violence to preempt all opportunities for building a political consensus.

Actually an 85% majority in Israel favor the present offensive or an even stronger push into Lebanon, but reality is not Jimmy's strong suit. Carter's information is as outdated as his disastrous tenure as the worst US president of the 20th century [although LBJ is a close second, and kumbayeh Billy Jeff looks worser and worser for not letting the first WTC bombing awaken him from his overlawyered ways].