> One puzzlement: why is Israel bombing UN observers? What can be the
> point of that?
I think it is partly intended as a signal to third parties not to send in peace-keeping forces. What county would now volunteer troops whom they know the Israelis may shell? Any troops stationed there now would want to be able to defend themselves, but what is the likelihood of mandate to bear arms against the Israelis (or Hezbollah) if the situation warranted it? Highly unlikely.
It also seems to me to be a massive "fuck you" to the international community. It sends a signal to Israel's neighbors that Israel will do exactly as it pleases because it knows it can get away with it.. Kofi Annan expresses his indignation, it gets coverage for a 24-hour news cycle, there will be some formal "investigation" in subsequent months, but in the final tally there will be no meaningful repercussions.
Just a though experiment: I wonder what the international reaction would be if Hezbollah fired rockets at UN observers?
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Colin Brace
Amsterdam