While there may be some political restraint shown by some of the governments in the region towards this unchecked assault and increased diplomatic overtures towards an immediate halt, there is no doubt where the true feelings of the masses lie. In a review of such emotions that covered several regions of this country, Saudis and non-Saudis alike echoed similar sentiments: 'This barbarity has to be stopped immediately.'

Samir questions, "Why the Arabs are not arming Hezbollah with weapons to defend themselves against air assaults. If the US is hurriedly delivering bombs and weaponry to the Israelis to continue their carnage against the Lebanese people, why shouldn't we supply those resisting such aggression with the armaments that would let them defend themselves?"

Jonathan adds that " it is a crime when nations stand by or get embroiled in diplomatic manoeuvres while innocent people are getting killed everyday. We have seen enough of the suffering and destruction on both sides and in particular of the Lebanese who have been losing unnecessary civilian lives while the world leaders hum and haw away."

Nora is vehement when she says that "this is a further proof of Israeli aggression in the region. They have craftily painted a picture of self-defence and the west has eagerly swallowed their version of the conflict. How many in the west know that southern Lebanon and the occupied territories have been under consistent Israeli attacks months before the capture of the soldiers. Palestinian and Lebanese civilians were being shot and killed daily, while Israel protested that such incidents were honest mistakes."

Lana volunteers "the fact remains that the US is currently using Israel to push forward their vision of a greater Middle East, as they themselves cannot get out of the mess they have created in Iraq and Afghanistan. The policies of Bush and company are to ensure that only Israel remains a military power in the region. This will allow them to continue with their expansion plans."

Brenda is sickened by the recent events and adds that "contrary to public opinion back home, there has been no period of truce during the months leading to the capture of the Israeli soldiers. And if you want proof, ask the mothers of the Palestinian and Lebanese children killed this year before this latest circus of carnage began."

Ahmed believes that "it is time to embargo the United States, period. They are the primary force behind Israeli aggression in the region. They will never waver in their blind support of the terrorist policies of Israel, regardless of reason or national interest. They have single-handedly vetoed every move by other nations to demand an immediate ceasefire and supply multi-national forces to ensure peace. Peace is not their agenda for the region."

Pierre wonders 'if George Bush is so blinded and in love with these transplanted East European Zionists who are squatting on land they have taken by illegally and by force, why does he not generously declare Wyoming or Utah as their new homeland? I am sure they would be welcomed with open arms by the existing tenants.'

Debra fires off with "Bush is the anti-Christ. Manipulating many God-fearing Christians into believing his evil message and his private communications from God, he has spread nothing but terrorism into this world. He is a failure as a world leader, and is now recklessly heading us all into Armageddon."

Jaber wonders 'when will Americans wake up and realise that their silence is giving birth to legions of those who will have nothing but hatred one day for the United States with their one-sided support of Israel. We bear no grudge against the people, but the sight of civilians and especially children being bombed and killed by Israeli aircraft is a sight which is too much to bear."

Omar adds that "We are all Hezbollah now. Anyone who resists the advances of the enemy is my friend. And Israel is the enemy, make no mistake about it. They have no desire for peace, or else peace would have been established long ago and there would have been no Hezbollah or Hamas or any other resistance group. What we see angers us deeply, and America is the accomplice. You can bet on one thing and that is that Hezbollah's value has shot up tremendously among the people".

Having watched the 'horror films' on the BBC, CNN and other news media for the last month, I have not been able to find an answer to the question that is not being answered by the Masters of world politics, why have different nations got different economic, social, diplomatic, military and even humanitarian value of human blood?" Civilisation has got to such a zenith that hundreds of dead bodies are going unburied in Southern Lebanon because of fears of fresh attack of the Israelis who have not been discriminating between Hezbollah military facilities (if any) and the Red Cross vehicles or the civilians fleeing the crime zone with white flag hovering from their cars. Even the UN Mission is not spared of the insatiable thirst of killing. Such is the level of hatred.

On August 8, a DS reader advocated for having good diplomatic ties with Israel. What have the diplomatic relations of Egypt, Jordan, and Mauritania among the Arab countries and quite a few more Muslim countries with Israel yielded so far? Is Israel heeding to their voices? On the same day in a BBC interview, I saw one of the most moderate leaders in the Arab world King Abdullah lamenting on being marginalised in the Arab world where (the Hezbollah leader) Hasan Nasrullah is emerging as the Hero. That may be a radical view in the Arab streets. But what have the power houses of the world done to espouse the amicably democratic Prime Minister of Lebanon Mr. Fouad Siniora? The delicate looking Prime Minister reportedly burst into tears while speaking of the horror inflicted by Israel in the ghosted city of Beirut on August 7.

Coming to the point of good relations with Israel, may I know why the United States, who renders Israel an official aid of US$ 2.7 billion per annum with more than US$ 1.6 billion of the total in military hardware which has also vetoed 55 UN Security Council Resolutions that were not tilting toward Israel since 1972 (the first time the US used the veto power in the UNSC was in 1970!) refused a US visa to the PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 1988 when the PLO was scheduled to make the historic declaration of recognising Israel before the UN General Assembly in New York? Why such a positive stride had to be moved to Geneva arranging a special emergency session of the UN General Assembly there? What has happened thereafter, after the Madrid conference, Oslo Accord, the Road Map...so many and so much of meetings, greetings and treaties?

Today, most of the Western politicians are taking about UN Security Council Resolution 1559 that calls for the disarmament of the militias (like Hezbollah) in Lebanon. But have the UN Security Council Resolutions 242 of 1967 (demanding Israel withdraw armed forces from occupied territories) and 338 of 1973 gone to oblivion? When the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) led by its Nobel laureate Egyptian Mohamed ElBaradei is avidly enthusiastic in inspecting Iranian nuclear facilities with the UN at its back, it's not uttering a single word about the hundreds of nuclear warheads reportedly possessed by Israel. Such is the double standard that is giving Israel the licence to kill the neighbours with impunity.

Resolving the double standard is the solution to the crisis.

Ahmed Mohiuddin, Dhaka

Nowadays we see that different aid and welfare agencies are helping people in places where war has broken out or other kind of civic unrest is taking place. Most of these aid and development agencies are backed or funded by the countries of their origin.

The most ironic part is that these places may not have the war or other problems in the first place without the involvement or intervention of the countries that fund or back these aid agencies.

For example, you may find aid agencies of US in Lebanon helping the Lebanese cope up with the conflict inflicted on them by the Israelis but the ironic part is that it is the US which gave the green light to Israel to attack Lebanon.

Can anyone explain the logic behind this kind of behaviour?

Oneil Osman, On e-mail

If Saudi Arabia took a stand against the United States in Lebanon the situation could have been different.

The UN is nothing more than a silent spectator.

Nasirullh Mridha Salim, Matuail, Dhaka

First of all hats off to Oneil Osman. Thank you for writing in such a balanced and sensible manner something we don't get to see very often. I would also like to quote from some valued sources about the history of Israel, especially to those who call it an illegal nation. For those who don't have the patience to read it in one line Jews were present in Israel before all others. For more details one can check www.mideastweb.org or just check it at wikipedia.org.

Mohammed Shadman, On e-mail