United States of, uh, Israel? Bush takes orders from Olmert.

So here's what Ehud Olmert (you know, prime minister of Israel) had to say regarding the UN resolution to cease hostilities in Gaza.

"In the night between Thursday and Friday, when the secretary of state wanted to lead the vote on a ceasefire at the Security Council, we did not want her to vote in favour," Olmert said

"I said 'get me President Bush on the phone'. They said he was in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn't care. 'I need to talk to him now'. He got off the podium and spoke to me.

"I told him the United States could not vote in favour. It cannot vote in favour of such a resolution. He immediately called the secretary of state and told her not to vote in favour."

(emphasis mine)

So, Condoleezza Rice has to do a last-minute volte-face, the US abstains while everyone else votes yes, and Israel and Hamas, both of whom rejected the UN resolution, continue the war. Awesome how the President of the United States takes orders from HQ in Israel. Ally shmally. This sounded like a mob boss ordering a minion around, and then bragging about it. Embarassing.

Whole report is here.