This morning, Tim Russert talked to Israeli UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman then with Lebanese special envoy Nouhad Mahmoud. I won’t fault Russert for anything, as today was a lot bigger than him, but he was a belligerent questioner with both. I don’t think he got a lot of pertinent information out of the Lebanese fellow, except that he admires Hassan Nasrallah, who’s mutant.

Read my show notes below the fold:

TIM AND GILLERMAN ON MTP. Tim Russert had as his first guest on NBC’s Meet the Press Israeli UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman. Russert wanted to know if Israel would agree to Lebanon’s call for an immediate cease fire in the wake of the civilian deaths at Qana. Gillerman acknowledged that the death of civilians was tragic. He added: “They may have been hit by Israeli bombs, but they are victims of the Hezbollah. If Hezbollah was not there, this would never have happened. And I wouldn’t put it beyond that vicious, brutal, cynical terrorist organization to have held those people there against their will after we repeatedly asked them to leave, so that they would actually be used as human shields.” He admitted that it might sound farfetched, but he posited that Hezbollah could have wanted this to happen, “as this serves nobodies purposes but Hezbollah and Iran.”

Israel will not agree to a cease fire, he said, because Hezbollah would then remain in Lebanon, holding the people there hostage, and terrorizing Israel. “This kind of thing could happen tomorrow or the week after.”

Russert averred that the people in Qana could not leave because they had no money, and the entire world thought Israel was awful. He asked Gillerman is Israel was losing world opinion badly because of Qana. Gillerman said that he would not be surprised if Hezbollah didn’t time Qana to happen precisely when Secretary Rice was there, as every time they near a “ray of hope,” the terrorist do something to sabotage it because they do not want peace.

He pointed out that 115 Katyusha rockets were fired at Israel. The difference, he said, is that Hezbollah fires to kill civilians while Israel tries to avoid civilians while going after Hezbollah.

“This is part of the war on terror. We are fighting this not only for ourselves but for the rest of the world,” said Gillerman, which sounds as if it could be the President’s sentiments relayed to Prime Minister Olmert by Secretary Rice.

Russert asked if the total elimination of Hezbollah were still the policy of Israel, and Gillerman said that he meant that they should be “totally disarmed.” He grieved that Lebanon has been “taken hostage” and “strangled.”

Russert accused Israel of attacking the whole of Lebanon, not just the Hezbollah strongholds in the south. Gillerman cited remarks made by Lebanese special envoy Nouhad Mahmoud, Russert’s next guest, on American television saying that one could not distinguish between Hezbollah and the rest of Lebanon: “Hezbollah is everywhere.” He defined the most evil “Axis of Terror” as Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah. (Expect Zawahiri, or someone with a similar voice, to release another cassette claiming Qaeda control of Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah.)

Russert cited Noah Feldman of the CFR as asserting in the New York Times that Israel’s recent actions have backfired and united everyone against Israel. Gillerman allowed that this was the case in some instances, but he asked Feldman what he would want Israel to do. What would anybody do? What would the United States do if our third largest city, Chicago, were bombed from Canada? Send the postcards, flowers? (Haifa is Israel’s third largest city.) He added that the Lebanese do not need incentive to hate Israel, as this is how they’ve been raised.)

Once Hezbollah is gone, he promised, Israel will work with other countries “to rebuild Israel.” He said he wants children to go to school on both sides without fear of bombs.

Russert wanted to know if this has been a more difficult military exercise than Israel had expected. (Shades of the U.S. in Iraq?) Gillerman said no, they knew Hezbollah had dug in. And if they chose not to be sensitive to civilians targets, they could have obliterated the cities and finished this much sooner.

Russert thanked him for the views of his government.

RUSSERT AND NOUHAD MAHMOUD. Russert’s next guest was Lebanese special envoy Nouhad Mahmoud. He asked if Rice would be welcomed to Beirut soon, highlighting that Rice had evidently been forbidden from showing up by Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora. Mahmoud replied that Rice was to arrive today, “but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.” He said their always looking for political solutions from the United States, which is the “main Superpower that can have connections with both sides.”

Russert asked if she’d ever be allowed in Beirut, and Mahmoud said that perhaps in the coming days, as they need America for any ceasefire.

Russert asked if Israel were doing the right thing by trying to eliminate Hezbollah. Mahmoud said that everyone can see that Israel is not doing the right thing. They are committing war crimes and “destroying the country.”

If Israel is trying to destroy Hezbollah, he said, they are losing the war.

Russert read the relevant portion UNSC Resolution 1559 of 2004 and asked him why the government of Lebanon had refused to remove Hezbollah. He said that there was no “quick fix.” Russert asked him to admit that the Lebanese army was not strong enough to disband Hezbollah, and Mahmoud said: “It’s not in our political agenda to disband them militarily.”

Russert quoted Lebanese President Emile Lahoud as saying that Hezbollah had “freed” Lebanon and Hassan Nasrallah had his “utmost respect.” Russert asked Mahmoud if Nasrallah had his respect. Mahmoud answered glibly: “Sure.” Russert quoted Nasrallah from 1999 calling for the “disappearance” of Israel: “Peace settlements will not change reality, which is that

Israel is the enemy and that it will never be a neighbor or a nation.” Mahmoud responded, “We don’t agree on that, but we are not working on that.”

Mahmoud said that Israel constantly reminds everyone of their might, and Israel wants “everyone to submit to their dictation.” The man sounds like Hugo Chavez talking about the United States.

Russert asked him if Lebanese Christians minds had been changed about Hezbollah because of the Israel’s actions in such a way that they would now vote for Hezbollah. Mahmoud muttered something about Israeli aggression and fell asleep.