Wednesday's capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hizbullah and the subsequent explosion of violence triggered a wave of reactions from around the world. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the abductions as an "act of war" and warned that his country's retaliation would be "very painful."
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called for the release of the two Israeli soldiers, but he also "unreservedly" condemned the Israeli incursion into Lebanese territory that followed. Annan also urged both sides to protect civilians, adding that "the maiming of unarmed civilians is terrorism pure and simple, whatever the cause."
Speaking to reporters following a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Annan's personal representative for South Lebanon, Geir Pedersen said that "Hizbullah's action escalates the already tense situation ... and is an act of very dangerous proportions; this is not in Lebanon's interest. It highlights again the need for decisions relating to peace and war to be taken by the government and for it to exercise its monopoly on the use of force from its territory." |