 Lebanese Premier Fouad Siniora's Cabinet distanced itself from Hizbullah's cross-border attack against Israel and said the Lebanese government does not condone it. "The government was not aware of and does not take responsibility for, nor endorses what happened on the international border," Siniora said after an emergency Cabinet meeting.
| Can't get away from it, Fod. If they're a legal organization within Leb — and a part of the government — you either condone what they've done or you've got to condemn it and shut them down. They've set it up for you so there's no middle ground. |
Siniora, however, condemned Israeli "aggressive" retaliation and said his government would call for a UN Security Council meeting.
| Obfuscate as you will, most states will retaliate for acts of war. |
He said Lebanon's government, which is dominated by anti-Syrian factions but also contains two Hizbullah ministers, was willing to mediate a solution to the crisis and urged the Security Council to intervene. "We opposed the phrase that said the government does not condone the operation," said Labor Minister Tarrad Hamade, who is close to Hizbullah.
| They either condone it or they don't. If they do condone it, they've got to accept the consequences. |
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