As Hizbollah cynically exploits  the tragedy of the 34 children killed along with 22 others in an Israeli air strike the estimable Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs puts the tragic pieces together, daring to ask the questions and give the answers few seem willing to do.  And the results are damning——to Hizbollah and all their enablers both within and outside of Lebanon.

Who were those 22 others killed in the strike?  Hizbullah terrorists, deliberately and callously hiding out, with their killer rockets and launchers aimed at Israeli civilians, in the same buildings and neighborhoods as civilians.

'We have been attacking in Qana for three days,' the high—ranking IAF officer said. 'They have fired dozens of rockets from there over the past week at Kiryat Shmona, Afula and Ma'alot.'

The officer said that the guerillas fire rockets and then flee into nearby buildings.

Why  did civilians, especially children, remain in the area while rockets were being fired and Israel tried to remove the launchers?  Prior to the air strikes, carefully trying to minimize innocent casualties even at the loss of surprise by revealing its plans, Israel dropped leaflets in Arabic warning:

To all citizens south of the Litani River

Due to the terror activities being carried out against the State of Israel from within your villages and homes, the IDF is forced to respond immediately against these activities, even within your villages. For your safety! We call upon you to evacuate your villages and move north of the Litani River.

Did Hizbullah cruelly prevent civilians from fleeing to safety?  Just as Hizbullah is responsible for the deaths of Israelis, civilians and soldiers, who they deliberately target, they are also responsible for the deaths of their own people.  And all their rioting, all their big lies, doesn't obscure that.
 
Ethel C. Fenig    7 30 06