Buried deep at the end of this article on the latest Palestinian-on-Palestinian attacks in Gaza are these statistics:

New statistics showed that during the first three months of the year 147 Gazans, including 10 children, were killed by fellow Palestinians, according to the Palestinian human rights group Al-Mezan.

Factional fighting killed 57 people in 2004, followed by 101 in 2005 and 252 last year.

Let’s put that in list format, shall we?

• Palestinians killed by Palestinians in 2004: 57
• Palestinians killed by Palestinians in 2005: 101
• Palestinians killed by Palestinians in 2006: 252
• Palestinians killed by Palestinians in 1Q2007: 147
• Projected number of Palestinians killed by Palestinians in 2007: 588

And now, a chart:

Don’t expect to see any major media take note of these numbers. It isn’t the IDF, you see. Dead Palestinians only count if they are killed by Israelis, apparently.

The president of Lebanon has decided that UN resolutions don’t apply to Lebanon. After all, it’s not like UNSC 1701 specifically calls for the disarmament of “all armed groups in Lebanon.”

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said Hizbullah will not disarm as long as there is a state of war between Lebanon and Israel, because the “national resistance’ weapons are Lebanon’s primary source of power.”

Lahoud was interviewed on a Cuban television show covering the seventh anniversary of Israel’ withdrawal from Southern Lebanon. “We adhere to Lebanon’s right to stay powerful until a comprehensive and just peace is achieved. When that happens, there will be no need for the resistance and its weapons” said Lahoud.

Right. Because your army isn’t supposed to protect your state from attack. After all, what are armies for?

Oh, wait. In the Middle East (except for Israel), they’re there to keep the citizenry down. I forgot.

What’s the Middle East version of “banana republic”?