I don't think there is much to the story or the plan behind it as there is no "peace-keeping" force available to step in and do the job. The premise that such a force, if it existed, could accomplish the task is pure fantasy in the first place.

This war will continue after both sides get a chance to regroup. Olmert had better start thinking about Israel's future, not just his own. If Israel doesn't come away from this in better stead than it started, then Olmert will be history and Iran will be so much more emboldened that they will rise to new heights of wrecklessness.

I don't think Israel really needed to regroup, did it? They are waiting for the delivery of some new bombs from us, but I'm sure they still had some in stock.
I think the problem was that this was taking too long. The shaping of public opinion being what it is, I'm happy I was able to get my digs in about the manipulation of the media by Hezbollah.

I feel sorry for Olmert, but if he's not a big enough man for the job, that's how it goes. It's a Nixon in China deal. Surrounded by enemies, they have to have guys who look like they eat babies for breakfast. Being that way also frees the leader up to something "soft" from time to time without looking like a wimp.
At this point, Olmert looks like a wimp.

I don't feel sorry for Olmert at all. He chose this path and then he backed down. I don't know what political ground he hoped to win but he's a fool.

Here's hoping that the next time Israel's leaders choose to fight a battle they have leaders who are tough enough to resolve to win the war.

Israel needs to reconsider how they want to fight their fight in Lebanon. This tactical eye for an eye crap just negates the advantages that the IDF has over Hezbollah on this battlefield. I don't believe Hezbollah will agree to the terms and will continue to attack, though maybe on a different scale. Israel will still have to act and Olmert and the rest of the leadership are going to have to decide "what next?".

Here's a potential "what if?" for Olmert: If Lebanon's army becomes the "peace-keeping" force immediately and Hezbollah continues to attack northern Israel or returns enmass to repair and improve it's infrastructure, does Israel start to target the Lebanese army, Hezbollah's new human shields?

But Lebanon still hasn't fulfilled the UN Resolution that tells them to disarm Hezbollah. If they're sending their troops south along with UN forces, this is their opportunity to take back the southern part of their country from an armed militia.

Will Hezbollah sit there surrounded by Lebanese and UN forces and still take potshots at Israel? I don't know, and I don't know what kind of response Israel should have to that.

I'll never be an Israel hardliner -- if you look east at dawn you'll see that the first rays of sunlight are shining out from between *America's* buttcheeks -- but it amazes me the level of flak Israel receives whatever it does.

Being a successful country without oil in the Middle East, being a democracy in the Middle East, and being a friend to the U.S., will always make certain that Israel is the target for hatred that it has been since the UN set it up.

Of course being a Jewish state might have something to do with it too. Just a hunch.

Heh, tfhr has fun with the obvious, my turn :).

The 'peace plan' will not hold for any period of time at all, the fighting will not stop because Hezbolla and Iran have become emboldened by their 'win'.
I also believe Olmert is a dead man walking as far as politics go, he'll face a vote on his politically correct fighting methods soon enough and rightfully so. W putzed around here to and I have no love lost for urging restraint when the goal of war is to destroy your enemies ability or will to wage it.