The Flesh Is Willing

Fascinating reading at the LA Times. Not only is Israel killing Lebanese civilians (a tragic thing, though I didn't see any mention of how Hezbollah uses them as shields while gleefully attacking Israeli citizens), it's also hurting the feelings of Red Cross volunteers like Imad Hillal and Qasim Chaalan.

In her front page piece "Israeli Missiles Rip Into Medics' Esprit de Corps," Megan K. Stack describes the havoc Israel is wreaking (without ever quite explaining how we got to this point), noting that, above the violence...

...most dangerous of all, the attack blunted the zeal of the band of gonzo ambulance drivers who have doggedly plugged away as Red Cross volunteers. Young men and women with easy grins and a breezy disregard for their own safety....

Remember, this is news article, not a press release.

Here's the other front page headline on the war: "Lebanese Tell Rice Bluntly That U.S. Must Step Up." Also on the front page are quick descriptions of three "Related Stories" inside: one on how critics are urging Blair to separate himself from American policy (which is too lenient toward Israel, of course), one on how Israelis killed some Palestinians, and one on how this conflict is hurting the future of Israel's kibbutzim.

Maybe tomorrow someone will write something with enough facts to put it all in context. I just hope it isn't spiked to make room for a piece on how Lebanese pets are being effected.