In Lebanon, a government official is warning militants not to take actions that might break the truce. Meanwhile, the Europeans are balking at committing any troops to the U.N. force for Lebanon.

John R. Thompson wonders why the West continues to avert its eyes to the threat posed by Iran. The Iranians themselves are not sitting still, engaging in military exercises and asserting that they will not stop enriching uranium.

More violence in Iraq yesterday. Today, the Iraqi Ambassador to the U.S. writes this op-ed piece in the Washington Post asking Americans not to abandon his country.

A Taliban offensive in Afghanistan results in the Taliban losing 71 men to NATO and Afghan Army counter-attacks.

Edward Luttwak thinks the gloomy assessment of Israel's performance in the recent war is premature. In Israel, politicians and generals are enduring the fallout from their poor performance, real or perceived.

Ralph Peters believes we are living in a moment of truth. Like VDH, he believes the West is beginning to regain the spirit that led to the conquest of the world. I still have my doubts.

Mark Steyn compares the attitude of the U.S. government and people immediately after the 9/11 attacks with the current attitude. It is not a pretty picture.

The common thread remains the same. The peoples of the West are under attack from Islamist fanatics, whether of the Sunni or Shia persuasion. So far, the West has acted with some restraint, at least as compared to the historical norms. The question is whether or not the peoples of the West have been so spiritually weakened as to make them incapable of the really robust response that will, in my opinion, eventually be required. If VDH and Ralph Peters are correct, it is only a matter of time (and the number and severity of the attacks of the enemy) before the peoples of the West demand that truly severe counter-measures are taken. I hope they are right. I fear it will require a mushroom cloud over America or Europe before the people are aroused to demand a full-scale response.