US outrage over Wolfowitz jibe

AN influential Lebanese politician and leader of its Druze community triggered US outrage today when he expressed regret US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was unhurt in a Baghdad rocket attack.

"We hope the firing will be more precise and efficient (next time), so we get rid of this microbe and people like him in Washington who are spreading disorder in Arab lands, Iraq and Palestine," Walid Jumblatt said in a statement.

Jumblatt, who is also the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, called Wolfowitz a "friend of Ariel Sharon", the hardline Israeli prime minister, "and one of the main architects of ... the destruction of Iraq".

The US embassy reacted with fury to the "outrageous and completely unacceptable" comments.

"Such statements not only praise acts of terrorism, but serve to incite future attacks on US government officials. We expect the government of Lebanon likewise to publicly condemn these remarks," it said in its own statement.

A government source said that Beirut did not intend to publicly condemn the remarks.

"It is not the habit of the Lebanese government to publicly condemn the words of a member of parliament who sits as the head of an important party and who also enjoys popular support," he said.

One US soldier was killed and 17 other people were wounded when a volley of rockets was fired yesterday at the Rashid hotel in Baghdad which houses scores of US military and other staff and where Wolfowitz has been staying during a visit to the war-torn country.

someone explain to me why were in the middle east again?

Why? we are there to steal the arabs oil