Can't really blame Paul Reynolds for waffling on 'in a good cause', as it were, since the BBC is more determined than a thousand Koffi Annans to see Israel acquiesce to a ceasefire that will save Hezbullah from its deserved drubbing.

Yet waffle on he does in pursuit of the idee fixee.

Meanwhile Richard from Euref brings us down to earth:

'France has decided to forego the privilege of intervening on Hezbollah’s side and announced that calls for an international force were “premature”. Germany has agreed to send some troops but only if definitely asked by both Israel and Hezbollah.

The great European foreign policy panjandrum, Javier Solana, has announced that “several European states” were ready to provide “all possible assistance” but did not specify who they were and what that assistance might consist of.'

Every sensible person wants Israel to finish the job they started- crushing Hezbullah and changing the ME balance of power vitally for the better. I hope Richard's right and the shambolic UN can kid nobody that they have a serious force available, least of all the Israelis.