Quotes for the day:

DAHIYEH, Lebanon: Rubble, smoke and tangled webs of dangling electrical cables now reside in an area that formerly housed over 500,000 Lebanese, the aftermath of Israeli air strikes that have ravaged Beirut's southern suburbs and show no sign of ending. ...

The scene included the usual debris of twisted metal, shattered glass and chunks of cement that follows bomb and rocket blasts, along with personal items, including abandoned toys, scorched mattresses and dusty books and photos.

— Lebanese Daily Star

[... on the U.S. stepping up bomb shipments to the Israeli government]

God, this is a festival of stupid. By the time they finish, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Christian Maronite wing of Hezbollah. Because the Israelis are bombing the shit out of the entire country and Hezbollah are the only people fighting back. Think their stature isn't increasing by the day?

— Steve Gilliard

Ironic though the fact may be, it is when the stakes are highest and a comunity strains every sinew in a life-and-death struggle that the ordinary strategic terminology fails. Under such circumstances, to say that war is an "instrument" serving the "policy" of the community that "wages" it is to stretch all three terms to the point of meaninglessness. Where the distinction between ends and means breaks down, even the idea of war fought "for" something is only barely applicable. The difficulty consists precisely in that a war of this type does not constitute a continuation of policy by other means. Instead, it would be more correct to say — recalling Ludendorff's work on total war — that it merges with policy, becomes policy, is policy.

— Martin van Creveld, The Transformation of War.

Lebanese reports feature a tour chosen by a Hizbollah tour guide. Those who wish to imagine political or military purposes for the toys and mattresses described are welcome to do so.

Gilliard quote added late