Well, our very able and respected Foreign Minister is certainly more polite than Greg O’Connor, who gets stuck right in with verbal abuse. O’Connor’s credibility also goes out the door with his O’Brien comments. Perhaps he watches a different ABC.

However, Downer’s failure to ‘challenge’ Israel has nothing to do with politeness. The FM, and all other Australians have no right to challenge Israel. Apart from a minor attack on our north during WW2, Australia has never been attacked as Israel has since its birth. Maybe if O’Connor and all the other Hezbollah apologists had a taste of a rockets slamming into Australia they would think differently

What has been conspicuous this last month is that some don't know their history, don't care about the history and aren't interested in any sort of truth.

Just because people might be muslims doesn't mean they are murderers and thugs for heavens sake.

Downer is a barely functioning moron. He does not read cables about one of the government's major traders giving $300 million to Saddam Hussein, he and Howard seem to think that Hezbollah grew up in a vacuum instead of a resistance to Israel's 18 occupation of their land.

All those who simply support this government, the US and Israel and their brutalities just tell the rest of us why, mount a reasoned argument please instead of sniping one liners that mean nothing.

Hezbollah is not Lebanon. 800,000 Lebanese civilians did not deserve to be made homeless, have their land bombed into Kabul or their lives and livelihoods destroyed for the sake of a couple of soldiers who are only trained to kill.

The first rule of international law is not to target civilians but they are.

Greg

You are correct of course. This Governments action or inaction is lamentable. ]

But let's be fair...Where is our Kevin?

Of course Downer capitulated - look at rule nine!
Australian foreign policy is as follows:

1. Don't criticise any other government unless someone else has done it first. Preferably America.

2. Don't ever do anything that might irritate Indonesia, (except in cases relating to rules 3) and 4) ). In fact, they can even have a say in our government policy.

3. No boat people. From anywhere. Apparently they smell. In the event of boat people, lock them up without charge until they want to go home (Funnily enough, that's also the solution to rule 5 and is the default solution for any of Howard's problems. I'm surprised costello isn't in a refugee camp).

4. No foreigners fishing in our waters, unless it's the japanese. Technically even they're not allowed to, that makes the greens happy. We just won't prosecute them (you can be damn sure they'd prosecute us). They can even go for whales in our water. Whee!

5. Anyone we don't like & doesn't have their own government is a terrorist (again, I'm surprised Costello isn't one yet, but give him time. Maybe he'll get frustrated and bomb kirribilli).

6. If George Bush says jump, we say, on who? If George Bush says go to war, we say, on who? If George Bush says Clinton was caught performing shenannigans on an intern, we say, on who? (apparently you can be impeached for that, but WMD war snafus aren't such a biggie).

7. China's government is A-Ok, as long as they keep buying resources. Didn't you hear? We're cool with communism now. Terrorism sounds scarier and is more convenient as an enemy - refer to rule #5.

8. The Kiwis are basically an extension of Tasmania. Kind of annoying and too close to Australia, but they're trustworthy as long as they don't beat us in the footy.

9. Any friend of America's a friend of ours. Unless they beat us in the footy.

There you go. Now you too can play Alexander Downer at home.

Philby2

Good to see some think broadly.

Mate but you seem to have overlooked the fact Lebanon recently held democratic elections as did the other people in the region who are also subject to Israeli aggression...The Stateless Palestinians.

It seems to me Israel is only prepared to attack Democratic countries and those who exhibit Democratic tendencies. Why is that? Democracy is a fragile thing and is suffering gross abuse by the Israeli's. Why aren't the US and Australia supporting the efforts of people who wish to try democracy?
Why are we supporting a country that is attempting to suppress the flowering of democracy is the Mid East?

Absurd isn't it? The only three democratic peoples of the region should be allied. Why aren't they?

Keith Kennelly.

The author has made the grave mistake of taking Alexander Downer seriously. The man's a goose.