G8 calls on Hezbollah to stop attacks.but the split inthe West is obvious.

Today, in St. Petersburg Russia, Group of Eight leaders released a carefully crafted statement telling Hezbollah that they must free abducted Israeli soldiers and immediately end attacks on Israel to end an upsurge in Middle East violence.

I guess that's telling `em...and I'm sure Hezbollah and their Iranian masters will trip over themselves to comply.

In the usual attempt at diplomatic balance, the statement urged Israel to exercise "utmost restraint" in its offensive in Lebanon, though it blamed the crisis squarely on "extremist elements" and put the onus on Hezbollah to end it.

Listing conditions for ending the violence, a carefully- worded text said an end to Israeli military operations and withdrawal of forces from Gaza were other conditions needed to "lay the foundation for a more permanent solution."

Whatever that means.

The statement echoed support for Israel's right to self-defence voiced by the United States. But, significantly, it made no reference to criticism by G8 memebers France and the European Union that have lined up to criticize israel's self defence as `excessive'. Russia's Vladimir Putin had accused Israel of pursuing "other wider goals".

Differences between Washington and G8 partners were largely papered over.

France's Islamist appeaser in chief President Jacques Chirac took pains to torpedo any appearance of actual G8 unity, telling reporters that leaders had "expressed extreme reservations about the disproportionate character of the Israeli reactions." There was no mention of this in the G8 text.

As Iran no doubt intended, the Middle East war took over the G-8 conference, which was supposed to have a discussion on how to deal with Iran's nuclear weapons program at the top of its agenda.

Actually, that doesn't matter, since Putin has already said that he supports Iran's right to any application of nuclear power and will never support sanctions of any kind.