A story in excerpts

Kind of an experimental post. As I was reading and clipping this morning, I realized that the clippings alone told the story.

(Guardian) The split within the international community over the Lebanon war was clearly exposed yesterday when the US and Britain combined at a Rome summit to block a move by European and Arab countries to demand an immediate ceasefire.

(AP) The position isolated her (Rice) from nearly all U.S. allies, who are seeking a quick end to the fighting that has cost millions of dollars and hundreds of lives.

(AFP) International talks in Rome, which broke up without agreement on a ceasefire call, gave Israel "authorization" to press its offensive in Lebanon, Justice Minister Haim Ramon said.

(NYTimes)With the fighting in Lebanon threatening to spin out of control, sectarian violence approaching civil war in Iraq and increased militant activity in Afghanistan, a security conference in Asia might not seem to be Rice's top priority right now.

(WaPo) But the current secretary of state said that given world events, a lighthearted skit wouldn't be appropriate. Instead, Rice, an accomplished pianist who has performed with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, said she'll play a Brahms piece to fit her "serious mood" at the (ASEAN) dinner Thursday.

(Reuters) Al Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al Zawahri warned his group would not stand by and watch Israel bombard Lebanon and the Palestinians, calling on Muslims in a video aired on Thursday to fight attacks on their countries.....

"How can we remain silent while watching bombs raining on our people," he asked. "Oh Muslims everywhere, I call on you to fight and become martyrs in the war against the Zionists and the Crusaders,"

(And not in the straight story line, but in the area, (AFP) The UN Security Council will seek again to find an acceptable way of condemning the killing of four UN observers in Lebanon, after the United States rejected any criticism of the Israeli attack.)