Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared that there would be no ceasefire until Hezbollah returns the captured Israeli solddiers, which started this war:

"there is no ceasefire and there will be no ceasefire in the coming days."

And there should be none until and unless either Hezbollah agrees to an immediate, unconditional and verifiable dismantling and removal of its rockets from Lebanon. They won't of course. So there should be no ceasefire until Israel completely destroys the Hezbollah war making capacity in Lebanon.

The Bush administration, which has so emphasized its "war on terror" since 9/11, would do well to back off of the ceasefire talk and let Israel continue unmolested to incapacitate and neutralize those who killed 241 U.S. Marines in 1983. That is, if the administration would have us believe that it truly is indeed still as enthusiastically committed to that war as it has been up to now. Every time Condoleeza Rice steps before the microphone and says that a ceasefire is "doable" this week, while Hezbollah rockets are still raining down on Israel, a mockery of Mr. Bush's commitment to the "war on terror" takes place.