July 14th, 2006
Israel suffers an unprovoked attack by Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon and its soldiers are kidnapped across its borders. They rightfully retaliate.
The Vatican doesn’t give a damn.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano said Pope Benedict and his aides were very worried that the developments in the Middle East risked degenerating into “a conflict with international repercussions.”
“In particular, the Holy See deplores right now the attack on Lebanon, a free and sovereign nation, and assures its closeness to these people who already have suffered so much to defend their independence,” he told Vatican Radio.
Israel struck Beirut airport again on Friday and bombed Lebanese roads, power supplies and communication networks in a widening campaign after Hizbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers and killed eight.
Sodano said the Vatican condemned both “terroristic attacks” and military reprisals.
Hizbollah, which wants to trade its captives for prisoners held in Israel, has showered rockets across the frontier in its fiercest bombardment since 1996 when Israel launched a 17-day blitz against southern Lebanon and Hizbollah.
But Sodano reserved his harshest words for Israel.
“The right of defence on the part of a state does not exempt it from its responsibility to respect international law, particularly regarding the safeguarding of civilian populations,” he said.
Fortunately, the Holy See doesn’t speak for all Catholics on the issue. Michelle Malkin points to two strong rebuttals from her readers. Check ‘em out.
Related: Len Butcher asks the question: “Would you do anything different?”
Filed under International, War on Radical Islam |
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