If It Looks Like a Duck, Walks Like a Duck, Quacks Like a Duck, Whatever You Do DON'T CALL IT A DUCK

Descriptions of Hezbollah in three of the larger American daily newspapers

NYT, from their lead article on the current mess

"the militant group Hezbollah"
"Israel said that the Lebanese government was responsible for the actions of Hezbollah, which is a member of the governing coalition"

In the article the NYT quotes our President

“There are a group of terrorists who want to stop the advance of peace,” Mr. Bush said. “The soldiers need to be returned.” (he knows a duck when he sees one)

Now, on to WaPo's article focusing on Hezbollah

"The radical Shiite movement Hezbollah"

Then there's this doozy of a quote regarding Hezbollah

Hezbollah's ideology merges Arab nationalism, Islamic revivalism and a powerful historical narrative of Shiite disenfranchisement, which is especially pronounced in Lebanon, where Shiites were once casually referred to as the deprived. Along the rocky wadis, or dry riverbeds, of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah's celebration of Shiite empowerment is often hailed by the group's most loyal supporters, sometimes more so than its schools, clinics, hospitals, orphanages and foundations for families of its slain fighters.

"They consider Hezbollah terrorist. We consider it sacred. We consider it and its weapons sacred," said Mohammed Awadeh, a 27-year-old shopping in a stationery store in the southern town of Nabatiyeh. (well, they're an aggreived minority, that forgives any and all sins then)

My local fish-wrap isn't any better

"the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah"
" The Lebanese government said it had no knowledge of the raid by Hezbollah, whose guerrillas in effect rule south Lebanon."
"Also hit in today's raids were the south Beirut studios of Hezbollah's Al-Manar television. However, the station, which had triumphantly announced the seizure of the soldiers a day before, was able to keep transmitting." (can't you just hear the LAT writer cheering for Hezbollah's brave and brash act of kidnapping those eeeeeevil Zionist soldiers)

Surprisingly, Foxnews doesn't call Hezbollah the terrorist that they are in their story on the violence, either. they use the terms militants and guerrillas, also. So, only Pres. Bush and the Israelis themselves are willing to call Hezbollah the terrorists that they are. Ambushing soldiers before declaring war and demanding hostage exchanges as well as raining rockets on non-combatant targets within Israel are the acts of terrorists. Hezbollah have cut their own throats, now it's up to the Lebanese, Iranians and Syrians to decide whether or not to join them in their suicidal frenzy.