I'm confused. How long have we Americans been lingering in Iraq? Three years? Four? And how many people are dying, not to mention the trillions of US tax dollars going towards funding this war? Hey, I am not complaining. The extreme Islamists in Iraq are bad guys, who are a threat to their region and to the world; and I support our troops, who are doing their best to prevent Islamist expansion beyond that region and to protect us at home. Yet, there is no outcry to remove forces immediately or to rush to United Nations' resolutions.



However, just when you would think the Los Angeles Times and their biased ilk could not get any worse, sure enough, they prove us wrong. Our news media reminds us daily of the hundreds of Iraqis and United States soldiers who are being killed. That's an awful "given" of war, which Western media has been rehashing on our domestic front for more than 1,000 days. So, that being said, can someone tell me why, when Israel, after finally reaching her breaking point and no longer able to tolerate the continued Hamas and Hizbullah missile attacks - with Iranian Katyusha and other long-range rockets - moves to protect herself, as any sovereign country has a right and duty to do, world opinion is already rushing in to protect the terrorists? This is too difficult to understand.



In between photo-ops with the Hizbullah leader, Kofi Annan gave a press conference offering his solution, which seems to consist entirely of calling for Israel to stop, stop, stop! How are we to believe a man whose photograph is proliferating across the Internet showing him thanking Hassan Nasrallah, who is the head of Hizbullah, for maintaining law and order in the south of Lebanon in the year 2000? If Annan can acknowledge Hizbullah was responsible for that, how can he now accept that it is Israel undermining Lebanese sovereignty?



Worldwide, those leaders and "experts" who are supposedly in accord with Israel's right to defend herself pepper their comments with absurdities, such as how many hours Israel has been in "conflict." We know it's okay to spend years, if necessary, in enemy territory defending the USA; yet, Israel's defensive efforts are judged in hours and days.



I do notice, however, that Israel has stated unequivocally that they would leave Lebanon if this same Kofi Anan and his United Nations would push Syria to also leave Lebanon. Israel's position is that the Lebanese army also has to take up its position at the border with Israel and that Hizbullah has to be disarmed - both included in UN resolution 1559 - and ensure that terrorists would not be able to shoot any rockets into Israel's civilian population. This was their agreement when Israel was forced to withdraw from Lebanon.



As usual, lots of talk, with photo-ops, but is anybody convinced by the efforts of the Lebanese government or by the results so far? How do you arrange a cease-fire with a group of terrorists? Hizbullah's demand for the release of imprisoned terrorists in exchange for Israeli captives is not an option, and it surely is not an option any other country (except maybe France) would tolerate.



Why do they expect Israel to negotiate? Could we have set up negotiations with Hitler? Chamberlain tried that - and we saw how brilliantly that turned out. Israel is in the position now of being able to drive a globally mutual enemy out of the area. I watch with disgust as the completely anti-Semitic United Nations, when it considers the Middle East, concentrates only on trying to rein in Israel. Not a surprise, though. That is what always happens: instead of finding real solutions, the only answer the world can find is reining in Israel after Israel has been attacked and is close to destroying the enemy. In addition, I do not remember when the phrase "disproportionate" became an acceptable gauge of a country's right to defend itself from attacks against its citizens.



Israel's position is well-established and known: it would withdraw if Hizbullah stops firing rockets into Israel and returns the kidnapped soldiers. Simple, right? It might be helpful if Kofi and gang would specifically mention in their condemnations that Syria and Iran must cease supplying arms for the terrorists to attack Israel.



Israel must be allowed to win a war that has been thrust upon it. Israel is the best friend of the United States and of Western democracies. Our interests are tied together. If, after the war ends, Israel is forced to turn over the West Bank to Hamas terrorists, then it would only threaten the area more. In fact, I'll go one step further. Now, in my opinion, would be a perfect time to annex the territories. This is not a situation that can be cured by short-term State Department responses, nor is it, despite the Los Angeles Times' insistence, a short-term conflict. (The same pro-Palestinian Los Angeles Times always looks for a Jew-baiting story. It is well past time that they acknowledged the ludicrous and obscene situation in which the sovereign Jewish State has to defend its right to even exist.)



It might also be prudent to remind our government that we share the same enemies; that Israel is fighting America's battle at the moment. Israel is also fighting, by proxy, America's war with Iran.



It concerns me when I read LA Times headlines such as "Israeli Arabs are caught in a web of Conflicting Emotions." The Times went on to say, "They are threatened, along with Jews, as Hezbollah rockets land in their midst, but many sympathize with their brethren in Lebanon." For the Israeli Arabs who have such terrible conflicts living among the dreaded Jewish infidels, now would be a perfect time for them to leave. For the Palestinian Arabs who are located in the middle of Israel, in my opinion, the only solution is transfer. The same way Beirut was able to clear out its population in just a few days, it could happen in Gaza. No, it should happen in Gaza.



After each attack on Israeli citizens, the IDF should drop leaflets and announce that 10% of a specific Palestinian Authority area will be taken back and all Arab residents will have one week to move to any Arab country. Then do it.