Charges of Proxy War

It's not a perfect ceasefire, but thousands of displaced Lebanese are streaming home today, over cratered roads to ruined villages in the south of Lebanon. In Israel, the rain of Hezbollah rockets has stopped for now as both sides count their losses.

Hezbollah pamphlets have already claimed "divine victory" in the bloody month of fighting. In Israel, a tough accounting has begun. "We did not fail," said Israel's Interior Minister. Hezbollah has taken a pummeling. But it survives.

And then there's the war beyond this war — the undeclared "proxy war," strategists say, that goes on, between the US and Iran.

Hear about the the ceasefire in Lebanon, current prospects, and the proxy war in the Middle East.

Guests:

Thanassis Cambanis, Middle East bureau chief for the "Boston Globe"

Steven Erlanger, Jerusalem bureau chief for the "New York Times"

Daniel Levy, director of the Middle East Initiative, New America Foundation and Century Foundation. Levy was the lead Israeli drafter of the Geneva Initiative. His recent piece in Haaretz is "Ending the Neoconservative Nightmare."

David Schenker, senior fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy. From 2002 to 2006, Schenker was the Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestinian affairs adviser in the office of the Secretary of Defense.

George Perkovich, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.