You might think the above is the obvious headline, as Israel faces invasions by terrorists and rocket fire directed on civilians, on two fronts. Three Israeli soldiers killed by Hezbollah and two kidnapped. But the BBC has already skipped over any such context, with their headline this morning of: Israel launches raids on Lebanon.

It’s always helpful to move the story as quickly as possible to being about Israel’s response, rather than the attacks which prompted it.

Likewise, Kofi Annan has wasted no time in condemning Israel’s retaliation; i.e. Israel’s attempts to rescue its soldiers.*

Just another normal day.

….

Addendum 1:35pm : The White House blames Syria and Iran for the kidnappings of the Israeli soldiers, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. As with the kidnapping of the soldier on the border with Gaza, President Bush stays zeroed in on the original act of aggression — resisting the rest of the world which is rushing to focus on Israel’s response — and identifies the solution as being the undoing of that original act. Too often in the past, U.S. adminstrations have first pressed Israel to show “restraint,” and made secondary the recognition that they have the right to confront the aggression being directed their way. It’s good to see that not happening in these cases.

And it’s just another example of why elections matter.

*Addendum 7/13/2006 9:25 am: “Aides of Kofi Annan” later said that the UN Secretary General actually was referring to Hezbollah’s attack, when he condemned “violence in southern Lebanon” (thanks to reader Justin for the link). However, having some aides issue a clarification like that is woefully inadequate, when the headline that had already shot around the world’s wires was that Annan had condemned Israel’s retaliation.

And how telling it is — if you believe the clarification — that Annan would characterize an attack on Israel as “violence in southern Lebanon.” The UN has had so much trouble lately finding Israel on the map.

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