[andrewlittle]

Let's see, the toll so far is well over a thousand dead (a reasonable retribution for the less than two dozen Israelis), one hospital destroyed and two others damaged by direct hits, UN headquarters destroyed, a Near East Council of Churches clinic for mothers and babies destroyed, a UN school destroyed killing 40 and who knows how many other atrocities. But it's okay, right? They're our allies.

In the case of the school, the Israeli leaders responded to criticism by saying that the school was "targeted" because it was shielding rocket-firing militants. These militants, evidently, are the same kind of menace as Bush's weapons of mass destruction and about as equally real. Since the international public outcry, the Israelis have investigated and said it wasn't targeted after all but was the result of a stray mortar. We said we meant to hit it, but we were mistaken. I guess the standard answer that militants are using civilian facilities as shields may or may not be accurate - maybe, maybe not, but it's our story and we're sticking to it - as long as we have stray mortar fire to fall back on. Mortar, no less, in an urban environment where the Israelis are pursuing a precision military operation "aimed at minimizing civilian casualties."

Since there is no evidence that white phosphorus is actually being used - well, no credible evidence incontrovertible proof - it seems a little hasty for the UN to be pushing for war crimes investigations. Doesn't US status as untouchable extend to our allies?

Of course, the UN and the hospitals are probably complicit in strapping those bombs on women, children and babies.