Lebanese PM Demands Compensation

The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora, demanded Israel pay compensation for the "unimaginable losses" to Lebanon's infrastructure.

BEIRUT - Lebanon's prime minister called for an immediate cease-fire with Israel on Wednesday, a week after start of fighting sparked by the abduction of two Israel Defense Forces soldiers by Hezbollah.

In a swipe at the international community, particularly the United States, which said Israel was acting in self-defense, Fouad Siniora said, "Is this what the international community calls the right of self-defense? Is this the price to pay?"

In the first casualty figure officially announced by the government Siniora said that 300 people have been killed, 1,000 wounded and half a million displaced in Israel's operation.

Siniora added he would seek compensation from Israel for the "unimaginable losses" to the nation's infrastructure.

Speaking to a gathering of foreign ambassadors, Siniora made an urgent appeal for end to hostilities on a humanitarian basis.

"We will spare no avenue to make Israel compensate" for the destruction inflicted on the country, he told the gathering, which included the U.S. ambassador.

At the gathering, the ambassadors were shown a photo exhibit of damage from the Israeli campaign, in which the international airport was hit and closed, roads bombed, bridges destroyed and various regions of the country cut off.

"Lebanon deserves life. What kind of life is being offered to us now?" he said. "We the Lebanese want life, we have chosen life. We refuse to die. Our choice is clear. We have survived the wars and destruction (before), we shall also do that now. … I sincerely hope you will not let us down," Siniora said.

One thing in this article is particularly interesting though. It seems Syrian President Bashar Assad made an extremely revealing comment:

Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Wednesday that the international community should act quickly to arrange a cease-fire to end the Israeli-Lebanese crisis, the Syrian state news agency SANA said.

It said Assad had made the comments, the first by Syria on its desire for a ceasefire between its ally Hezbollah and Israel, in a telephone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

"The conversation covered the international stance and how the international community is procrastinating on imposing a cease-fire and ending the crisis," SANA said.

I think that is some pretty strong evidence that there has been a terrible miscalculation on Iran and Syria's part. They expected a ceasefire to be imposed on Israel rapidly.