The End of the Beginning
Comment is free: The end of the beginning
Lots of observation but little analysis, punditry or general smart-arsery from Dan Plesch, associate at the SOAS IR school. However, he does agree with other commentators that current events are part of the big picture:
Both the Iranian and US governments regard the fighting in Lebanon and Israel as related to their own conflict. President Bush made the end of Iranian and Syrian support of Hizbullah a condition of any ceasefire, though he has since softened his stance at the UN. Condoleezza Rice remarked that "we do know that this is more than just Hizbullah in Lebanon. This is an extension of Iranian power through a proxy war."
Many useful links also provided. I disagree that this is the end of the beginning: I think that it is merely the middle of the beginning. But sooner or later, we'll be at the beginning of the middle.
