Israel's Strategy?
In From the Cold sketches out the strategy he feels Israel will pursue in Lebanon. In his view Israel's goals are limited. Remove the rocket threat, isolate by air and then destroy the Hezbollah by ground assault; then finally redeploy to Gaza and complete the effort to retrieve Gilad Shalit. In his view the attacks on Hezbollah's rocket batteries are already reducing their ability to launch. Syria may be tempted to intervene, but then again they may sit it out. Darkening the scene from a distance is Iran.
There are, of course, some wild cards in the equation. The sudden execution of one (or all) the Israeli soldiers would prompt an even greater escalation by the IDF, and a possible expansion of its area of operations (think airstrikes against Damascus). Then, there's the Iran factor. Tehran has already indicated that an attack against Syria would be considered an attack against the wider Muslim world, suggesting that it would come to the aid of its ally. Iran's threats aren't entirely hollow, but it's military options are limited to (1) more terrorist attacks, (2) missile strikes against Israel, or (3) a long-range airstrike, using F-4 or SU-24 aircraft. The potential damage from these attacks would be limited (except if WMD were used), but the long-term consequences for Tehran would be exceptionally grave.
Commentary
I believe In From the Cold wrote this post before the full extent of Iran's technical assistance to the Hezbollah became clear. However, it doesn't change his basic assessment, which is that Israel can handily defeat Hezbollah -- unless Iran or Syria come to its rescue -- what he called the Wild Cards. The deck is being dealt and we will turn over some extra cards in the following days.
posted by wretchardthecat at 7/15/2006 12:35:00 AM
334 Comments:
Israel can win any battle with Hezbollah, but that doesn't defeat them.
Only long-term occupation and forced disarmament defeats them -- implementation of 1559.
Israel needs to call on Lebanon to commit some large number of troops, maybe 60 000, to disarming Hezbollah and ensuring that only the elected gov't has military force in Lebanon.
This disarming force could also be from NATO and the UN; Israel should be suggesting something like this to Lebanon, so as to a) first occupy S. Lebanon by Israel, and b) hand over the occupation to a Lebanese/ multinational force, committed to enforcing 1559.
Getting other country's troops into non-Hez Beirut would also be good; but the Lebanon gov't needs more activity, too.
Disarming of Hezbollah is the solution that Israel should be pushing; either with Lebanese and other country's help, or alone.
I don't think it's in the cards, but I do dream of the US to paying the costs for India to provide thousands of Indian troops to help the Lebanese gov't disarm Hezbollah, after the Israelis leave.
US cash+training+equipment, bodies from democratic India, working together to impose peace.
One of Iran's nightmares.(jus' a dream)
This is a propitious moment for Nato to act. It bypasses the UN and the cunning and always duplicitous Russians. The Chinese are obstructive. No one other than Israel has more on the table than the EU. Lebabon is on the verge of having Israel controlling her south and Hezbollah always on the fringes.
Nature abhors a vacuum and where there is weakness in the ME, the Iranians have surrogates anxious to act. There is no doubt that Iran thinks this thing is winnable. The more trouble they cause, the richer their cash flow.
The captured Israelis are probably dead men walking. Israel will overreact to their murder, and the Iranians will taunt them to do so. Only the prestige and legitimacy offered by Nato can do this. It needs to be done fast. Should Nato do so, it cannot leave without training and fitting a strong independent Lebanese military. Forget about destroying Hezbollah. It is a fantasy. A counterbalanced and disarmed Hezbollah is achievable.
Hezbollah cannot be disarmed, but the territory in Southern Lebanon can. That accomplishes four goals:
1. Strengthens a weak Lebanon.
2. Provides border security for Israel in the
north.
3. Stifles Iranian ambition.
4. Slows Juggernaught Hezbollah.
Stability is achievable and desirable, especially now.
This is a taste from today's Telegraph:
..."Sheikh Nasrallah raised the stakes, threatening to attack Israel beyond the city of Haifa, 20 miles from the border, which was hit for the first time on Thursday. Also for the first time, Hizbollah rockets hit an Israeli naval vessel off Beirut. Four crew were reported missing although the military had said earlier that there was only light damage.
"Surprises will start from now," said the sheikh, who is admired by Arabs for Hizbollah's success in forcing Israel out of Lebanon in 2000.
As the number of deaths mounted, President Jacques Chirac of France accused the Israelis of trying to "destroy" Lebanon.
"I find honestly, as all Europeans do, that the current reactions are totally disproportionate," he said in an interview to mark France's July 14 national day. "We are in a very dangerous situation. We must be very, very careful." Mr Bush distanced himself from Mr Chirac's comments and a Russian call for a ceasefire."
Please have someone give Nato a wake up call.
Interesting MSM Blog
No ice cream in this Israeli town
Yoni says action will commence Monday or Tuesday.
Today is Saturday, so he won't be checking in at Blog or Hewitt's Saturday Special Show.
---
Further South:
During the short time we were in Tel Aviv, things seemed normal. At the airport, several Israelis came up us to say they were annoyed that their relatives had canceled plans to vacation in Israel.
"Tell them Tel Aviv is fine," one woman said to me. "It's just up north where there are some problems."
---
Been there, done that!
Link
The London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported Saturday that Israel issued an ultimatum to Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to which a regional war would erupt within 72 hours if Damascus does not prevent Hezbollah attacks.
According to the report, a Pentagon source said that if Syria does not try to influence Hezbollah, Israel could bomb essential installations in Syria. The source neither confirmed nor denied rumors that Israel had given Damascus 72 hours to comply with international demands.
In recent days, senior U.S. administration officials, led Bush blamed Syria for the escalation of violence in the region. Syria's ambassador to the U.S. regarded U.S. policy in the region as favoring Israel, which he said was not helping the situation.
According to analysts and senior officials in Syria, Damascus is aware of the threat of an Israeli strike. In recent days, senior officials warned Israel against attacking. Lawmaker Muhammad Habash stated that if Damascus is attacked, another front would open on the Golan Heights. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Israel against attacking Syria.
Syria's ambassador to London said Friday that Damascus wants to remain outside the conflict in Lebanon. He went on to say that Syria demanded that Hezbollah stop launching Katyusha rockets at Israel.
On Friday, the ruling Baath Party said Syria will support Hezbollah and Lebanon against Israel's attacks on the country.
An update from CNN:
The IDF added that the ship was attacked by a missile and not by a drone packed with explosives, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Israel: Rockets Hit Tiberias
July 15, 2006 1048 GMT
Rockets hit the Israeli town of Tiberias on July 15, marking the deepest hit into Israeli territory since the beginning of the conflict. (Stratfor)
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wu's link:
"Lawmaker Muhammad Habash stated that if Damascus is attacked, another front would open on the Golan Heights.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Israel against attacking Syria."
---
So that answers Alexis question in a manner that makes sense to me:
A face saving bluff that has already been executed in that Damascus has already done what Israel demanded:
Call off the Rocket attacts.
...as if they will.
So, baby make suck Nitrous, but he's not nuts!
Jerusalem Post
A senior IDF intelligence official says that Iran has approximately 100 soldiers in Lebanon and that they helped Hizbullah hit an Israel Navy ship with an anti-ship missile.
I have to believe that Bush has a coalition of the willing ready if there is an escalation. As far as Iran goes, I don't think Bush is counting on Putin or China to save the world. Just like with Iraq, he needs to go through the motions at the UN while he quietly moves his real plan in the background.
Hezbollah responded with long range missiles into Tiberias. Israel thinks Tel Aviv may be attacked.
For the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the city of Tiberias came under a rocket attack on Saturday. Tiberias is located some 35 kilometers south of the Lebanese border on the western bank of the Sea of Galilee.
Three of the six Katyusha rockets fired at the city by Hizbullah landed in residential areas, with one landing near the Club Hotel resort, and one landing very near a gas station.
At least one person was suffering from shock and evacuated to Poriya Hospital, while residents were told to enter shelters and fortified rooms.
Tiberias is located outside the area that the IDF predicted would be hit by Katyushas.
Moshav Kfar Hitim, near Tiberias, was also hit.
A senior Israeli intelligence official warned Saturday that Hizbullah could attack Tel Aviv with long-range rockets.
Karensky,
Friedman at Stratfor thinks it's more about Iraq, and things going better there than Iran would hope, thus they sought to distract us, miscalculating that GWB would put reins on Israel, and this would stretch out.
Instead, we were happy to see Israel do the opposite and distract Iran while atriting Hizbollah.
Four Israel Navy sailors were reported missing after an Iran-manufactured C-802 missile hit the ship. Initially, the army was not certain whether a missile or explosives-laden drone hit the vessel on Friday night.
Haaretz is reporting that the missile that hit the Israeli warship is an Iranian manufactured C-802 missile.
This missile is an anti-ship cruise missile designed by the Chinese and sold to the Iranians.
See:
China Arming Iran With Advanced Missile Technology
C-802
Rollin' rollin' rollin'
I heard on the TV that a cargo transport ship was sunk during that missile attack on the "Man o' War".
Anyone else hear that, or are my ears failing me as well?
Even that Eleanor Clift woman, just back from Israel is dismayed. Liberals in Israel are demanding action against their Enemies.
It takes a toll, though, she said.
"In Israel, we heard repeatedly that this is the first phase of the next war and that it’s about more than Hamas and Hizbullah, it’s about Syria and Iran, and stopping an Iranian nuclear weapon program. "
The first hand experiance in Israel seems to have left her conflicted. The efforts in Gaza were "misdirected", but ...
.
She sure doesn't know
But the army's investigation showed that Hezbollah had fired an Iranian-made missile at the vessel from the shores of Lebanon, said Brig. Gen. Ido Nehushtan.
"We can confirm that it was hit by an Iranian-made missile launched by Hezbollah. We see this as very profound fingerprint of Iranian involvement in Hezbollah," Nehushtan said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Another Hezbollah missile also hit and sank a nearby merchant ship at around the same time, Nehushtan said. He said that ship apparently was Egyptian, but had no other information.
"The surprises that I have promised you will start now. Now in the middle of the sea, facing Beirut, the Israeli warship that has attacked the infrastructure, people's homes and civilians — look at it burning," [Hezbollah Chief] Nasrallah said.
"It will sink and with it will sink scores of Israeli Zionist soldiers. This is just the beginning," he warned.
No, actually the surprise was that you sank scores of Egyptian Islamic merchants.
I heard on the TV that a cargo transport ship was sunk during that missile attack on the "Man o' War".
Anyone else hear that, or are my ears failing me as well?
Yes, it's been reported as an Egyptian merchant ship. One report I saw said it was sunk. Other's don't really say. I also saw something that said that one missile had missed the Israeli ship. If so then at least three of those cruise missiles were fired.
I think the news is unreliable coming from Leb right now. There were also reports yesterday of a failed amphibious landing of Israilis in Leb, which turned out to be false.
BTW, a few more missile links:
Iran's missile forces
Anti-ship missile
C-802
Could this be true? It would be amazing for Israel to hit Syria while the Arab foreign ministers are meeting.
Eyewitnesses: IAF struck Syrian targets near Lebanon border
The Israeli Air Force struck four targets in Jadidat Yabus near the Syrian-Lebanese border, eyewitnesses told the al-Mustakbal television network.
According to the report, the Air Force hit targets belonging to the Syrian army and located on Syrian territory.
The current Israeli strikes at border crossings with Syria, straffing service stations and convoys of people fleeing is foolish. Israel is on the verge of awarding Hezbollah victim-hood, a mantle they welcome and wear enthusiasticly.
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had only carried out bombing raids on Lebanese territory and not inside Syria after reports of attacks very close to the Syrian border.
"It's very important to understand that we have only targeted bridges and access points in Lebanon," an army spokeswoman said. "We have not bombed anything in Syria."
Earlier witnesses said Israeli warplanes had bombed a Lebanese-Syrian border crossing point, indicating that air strikes were straying close to Syrian territory.
I am going to go way out on a limb here and make a prediction: As long as Syria remains Syria and Lebanon remains its vassal, EVERY Israeli city will be in range of missile attack. Indeed, I will go further: no matter how much farther north or east Hezbollah is driven, the range of its munitions will increase accordingly.
Of course, if the Syrian government were to collapse and were the real Lebanese government/military confident in unwavering, non-duplicitous US and Israeli support, the Western flank would be secured promptly and Iran would be surrounded.
Should the US take today’s attack on Tiberias as the pretext to initiate its joint defense agreement with Israel and, thereby, launch a brutal air campaign in the Bekaa and the foothills of the Golan, the real Lebanese government/military might consider this a green light for action against Syria and Hezbollah.
As an afterthought, if/when high value Hezbollah human targets are hit, Israel will know. That no announcement of same has been forthcoming makes me consider the possibility that the bad guys got a "heads-up" (or down, as the case may be).
I too am concerned about whether Israel is getting too close to the line. One problem is that the media are so biased that it is tough to tell the real facts, whether things are as bad as they say. That van of people was by the border and I know Israel has said that people must clear out or be shot, because there needs to be a buffer zone. If the van had swerved towards the Israeli side of the fence like a possible suicide bombing, Reuters would never admit it.
Ultimately though the complaints about Israel fail for this reason: Lebanon started the war by capturing the Israeli soldiers, and sustains it by refusing to return those soldiers and by launching missile attacks at Israeli civilians on Israeli soil.
Instead of nit-picking about the rules of war, if Lebanon wants peace, she should return the prisoners and cease fire.
Allen (06:53)- I hear solid reasoning in your outline...
I'll keep YOUR POST in mind as the next few days play out...
And WuWei, I'm betting Israel can step a LONG WAY over any 'lines' in order to clobber their enemies, and it won't make much difference to the Jew-hating, America-loating media reporting!
I think bombing very close to Syria was important. There was some story floating that Israel wouldn't dare bomb the crossing to Syria. Plus Syria made the announcement today supporting Hez. and Iran has been thumping its chest. So it was important for Israel to cross all those lines they drew (but not the border line yet).
It looks like Syria was quick to confirm it.
Syria was not the target of any attack by Israel on Saturday, a Syrian information official said.
"No Syrian installation, military or civilian, has been targeted in any part of the country," the official told Reuters.
Bush today was very, very strong in support of Israel, and specifically blaming Hez. and Syria. Granted Bush is a good poker player, but I also believe he's got a good hand too, and he's willing to help take out Syria and / or Iran if necessary.
At a joint news conference, Bush again declined to urge Israel to curb its attacks on Hizbollah targets in Lebanon, a position at odds with those of French President Jacques Chirac and the European Union, who have called Israel's action disproportionate.
Bush laid the blame for this week's upsurge in Middle East violence squarely on Hizbollah guerrillas for firing rockets into Israel and abducting Israeli soldiers. In response, Israel has bombed Beirut's airport and blockaded its port.
"The best way to stop the violence is for Hizbollah to lay down its arms and to stop attacking. And therefore I call upon Syria to exert influence over Hizbollah," Bush said.
07-15-2006 4:25 AM
By NOOR KHAN, Associated Press Writer
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than 40 militants in clashes across southern Afghanistan on Saturday, according to the U.S. military.
The clashes come amid stepped up U.S.-led military efforts to crush armed extremists, primarily the Taliban, behind a bloody insurgency raging across Afghanistan, particularly in the south.
Skirmishes between coalition and Taliban militants raged throughout the southern Uruzgan province Friday into Saturday, with battlefield estimates indicating that 31 insurgents were killed in and around the Chora district, said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick. ...
07-15-2006 6:59 AM
By RYAN LENZ, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Gunmen kidnapped the head of Iraq's Olympic committee and more than a dozen employees Saturday after storming a sports conference in Baghdad, police said. The kidnappers wore camouflage Iraqi police uniforms and security guards outside the meeting said they did not interfere because they thought the gunmen were legitimate law enforcement, police said. ...
From Bombay to Beirut
All we were saying,
was give Peace a chance.
A nonproportionate response is called for.
There are "givens" in the public debate. the War of Words observed.
One is Doc Assad remains when this episode is done. That the status que will remain basicly the same.
That the effort, therefore, a waste of life and limb.
Unless the "givens" of the "Game" can be radically changed, they're right.
On to Damascus, or build a higher fence and quit complaining about the menace.
Timely comments there, dr -
Looks like we have an ultimatum issued to Syria.
Sorry no live link - I haven't posted much in the last little while and I've forgotten the html tags.
SO, cut and paste THIS:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3275886,00.html
Triton
The US Army cannot control specific neighborhoods in Baghdad, and if I recall we got into those neighborhoods with some rather impressive air power.
Lebanon is already occupied by Hezbollah. Iraq is going who knows where. Knock out Syria and I wonder who will control that? I guarantee you it will not be the US and will not be Israel. It is smarter to choose fights you can win.
Israel has been engaged on and off in air wars and retaliatory bombings for how many years? The US used air power in Viet Nam and yet air power could never defeat an enemy on the ground and imbedded in a rural society. The Soviets, the same in Afghanistan.
Israel already received an ugly surprise from Iran with the missile attack of the ship. More will be on the way. Unless Israel is prepared to follow up with a massive ground assault and then occupy Lebanon, what is the point? If they occupy Lebanon, then what? Israel is not capable of surving a prolonged war with Iran. Does the US have any say about getting into a war in a part of the world than is conducted by deranged Islamic madmen?
The war against radical Islam is never going to be won using this simplistic and ultimately losing strategy of attrition. There is often the talk of a clash of civilizations. Perhaps, a more accurate metaphor, is a clash of eras. Israel and the West are in the twenty first century. We think and act accordingly. Hezbollah is from the fourteenth century and they are rational actors for that period.
Israel believes that striking down and killing Hezbollah leadership is a winning startegy. Twenty first century thinking says this would be a deterrent. Not so for fourteenth century thinking.
Warfare tactics hardly changed from Rome to Gallipoli. Go to a US Civil War reanactment. There is always the brave and glorious falling of the flag bearor and a rush to pick up the colors and another is struck down and on it goes. That is appropriate behavior for the era and nuts to us in the twenty first century. Hezbollah is in that era. Kill one Hezbollah leader and ten more enthusiastic jihadis rush to fill the gap.
Understanding your enemy requires you to understand your enemy. Develop your strategy on what they would do not on what you would do.
The war against radical Islam will not ever be won by playing into into the Islamist strategy. Israel has fallen for it hook line and sinker.
Report: Israel gives Syria ultimatum
London-based Arabic language newspaper Al-Hayat says Israel gave Syria 72 hours to stop Hizbullah’s activity, bring about release of kidnapped IDF troops. ‘Israel will not end military activity until new situation created that will prevent Syria, Iran from using terror organizations to threaten its security,’ newspaper quotes Pentagon official as saying
YNet News
They gave Peace a chance.
Withdrew to their own yard,
sent money each month,
and still it wasn't enough.
Where are the Plains of Armagedden, exactly?
Link
It looks like the Arab League has at least 8 countries of 18 against the terrorist proposal submitted by Lebanon, which is being discussed today. ("all legitimate means" is code for terrorism). The Saudis are leading the fight against supporting Hezbollah. Usually resolutions need to be unanimous to carry weight.
The Saudi foreign minister appeared to be leading a camp of ministers criticizing the guerrilla group's actions, calling them "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts."
"These acts will pull the whole region back to years ago, and we cannot simply accept them," Saudi al-Faisal told his counterparts.
Supporting his stance were representatives of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, delegates said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem lashed back al-Faisal, asking "How can we come here to discuss the burning situation in Lebanon while others are making statements criticizing the resistance?"
...
The rift appeared likely to prevent participants from issuing a unanimous resolution over Israel's incursion into Lebanon - the worst Israeli attack on its neighbor in 24 years.
Earlier, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh presented his fellow Arab League members with a draft resolution condemning Israel's military offensive and supporting Lebanon's "right to resist occupation by all legitimate means" - language frequently used by Hezbollah to justify its guerrillas' presence in south Lebanon.
The draft, a copy of which obtained by The Associated Press, also demanded the release of Lebanese captives and detainees in Israeli prisons, and supported Lebanon's right to "liberate them by all legitimate means."
Looks like the Israel ultimatum to Syria story was false, maybe planted by someone.
Link
IDF officer: Israel has no plans to attack Syria
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Responding to a report in a pan-Arab daily newspaper that Israel presented Damascus with an ultimatum, an Israel Defense Forces officer said Saturday that targeting Syria is currently not on Israel's agenda.
"We're not a gang that shoots in every direction," the officer said. "It won't be right to bring Syria into the campaign."
Sorry Whit. I can count. One and a half billion Muslims. Go to war with all. You lose. Isolate the modernists from the fourteenth century , you have a good chance at winning. Play into their hand and enjoy the drama of Pickett's Charge, but you lose.
For the first time since the Gulf War the IDF has stationed two Patriot Missile batteries in Haifa. The Patriots missile is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missile. (Hanan Greenberg)
For a further understanding of the Muslim mind, check out this from Commentary. "Tales of Islam" is a series of book reviews of titles translated from the Arabic.
The stories told are symbolic of the state of the Culture.
The story told in "The Almond" would make even the most ardent Feminist blush. Right out of John Norman's imagination into reality, seems to me. Or, perhaps Mr Norman was well traveled and had experienced the "pleasures" of Arabia, first hand.
Wretchard, I wish I could be optimistic. But here are my predictions:
(1) 2164th has suggested that NATO step in. This isn't going to happen.
(2) Damascus gets its orders from Tehran, and thus the Loony Mullahs of Iran will fight to the very last man—Syrian man that is. So don't even bother calling for Syria to "restrain" Hizbullah.
(3) The moment Israel begins to truely degrade Hizbullah's assets and capabilities in Lebanon, the entire muslim world (including our "friends") will start screaming bloody murder, and consequently Dubya's pals, in Big Business and the Republican party, will march into the White House and demand something be done before the price of oil sends the U.S. economy to Sour City. Dubya, losing his nerve, will call for "restraint" by Israel, forcing them to back off their campaign before it's completed, thus leaving Israel worse off than before.
(4) Iran will eventually get nuclear weapons.
(5) If you think things are bad now, just wait. They're going to ge a whole lot worse.
The Venezuelan leader charged that Israel is using excessive force.
"Are we going to bomb cities and tell them that we won't stop bombing until they return the soldier? That's crazy," he said.
"Worse, it's craziness with nuclear bombs. (The Israelis) have their weapons of mass destruction and nobody criticizes them, nobody says anything because the empire is behind them," Chavez said.
Blaming the escalation on Washington's undue influence, Chavez said: "The U.S. empire's desire to dominate has no limits and that could take this world to a real Holocaust. May God save us."
What will Mr Chavez do to help Mr Putin & God "save" the world from US and the coming Holocaust?
A leading Senate Republican on Friday urged U.S. restraint in supporting Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah, citing the problems it may cause in the war in Iraq and efforts to disarm Iran.
Senator John W. Warner, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, issued a written statement Friday calling on the Bush administration to "think through very carefully how Israel's extraordinary reaction could affect our operations in Iraq and our joint diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.
"This is a very critical time for the U.S. in the Middle East, and the Israeli actions will certainly have an impact beyond Lebanon and Gaza," Warner warned.
One Republican vote for the status que and a higher fence.
It looks like Hezbollah is going into hiding now, as Israel destroys their offices and housing.
Articles indicate that Israel cleared explosives at the border crossing where the troops were captured, and dropped leaflets in Southern Lebanon ordering residents to leave within two hours. The buffer zone is being established on the South Lebanese border.
What is probably happening then is that Hezbollah is going into guerrilla mode, blending in with the population. It will change things, especially if Hezbollah stops firing the rockets.
Mr Warner obviously sees a series of isolated local events. No International War for Senator Warner, he rides with the Supremes in that regard.
No wonder we're doin' so swell. The Senator, and the majority in DC are blind to the scope of the reality.
Israel reportedly thinks Hezbollah may be targeting its officials with missiles.
At around 5:15 p.m., at least six Katyusha rockets were fired at the city of Nahariya, just as Environment Minister Gideon Ezra was touring the place. One of the rockets "missed" the minister by only a few hundreds of meters. There were no reports of injuries.
Carmiel was struck by two rounds of Katyusha rockets, and an educational institute suffered a direct hit. One rocket landed on the roof of a house, and several people were treated for shock.
A senior IDF officer said there is a link between the rocket attacks on the north and visits by top Israeli officials to the area.
Decapitation attempts are tit for tat.
The Mohammedans obviously have excellent intel on the ground in Israel. The Israeli are admitting it. Doubt if inflatable tanks will work this go round.
If there is anarchy after the Doc leaves Damascus, just hand the place to Jordan. It is part of the old Kingdom, I believe. The majority of Syrians would fit right into the Kingdom. Those that don't can die.
The Jordanians and Iraqi forces could act jointly to establish order. The level of violence in Baghdad and the Sunni triangle would drop radically.
Then the Shia militias might stand down, without a fight.
Someone asked about Turkey's position:
Link
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday spoke by phone with his Lebanese counterpart Fuad Saniora, who requested Turkish mediation for a cease-fire to end the spiraling violence in the Middle East, an official said.
The Turkish premier told Saniora Turkey would "make every kind of contribution" for a cease-fire, Erdogan's spokesman, Akif Beki, told The Associated Press, but gave no further information.
Predominantly Muslim Turkey has been trying to play a mediating role between Israel and Palestinians and has criticized Israel, a close ally, for using excessive force in its offensives in the Middle East.
Earlier on Saturday, Erdogan racheted up the criticism, accusing the country of engaging in ruthless violence.
Erdogan also called on the powerful Group of Eight nations, currently meeting in Russia, to reach a joint decision that would allow the United Nations Security Council to establish a cease-fire to end the spiraling violence.
The G-8 countries, the United States, Russia, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada, were expected to issue a declaration on the Lebanon crisis.
"No reason can ever justify the raining of bombs on innocent civilians, the destruction of cities that exceed the limits of mercy," Erdogan said during a ceremony to launch a housing project in the eastern city of Artvin, according to the Anatolia news agency.
"I appeal to the G-8 countries: the G-8 must reach a common decision, the U.N. Security Council must declare a cease-fire," he said.
> "No reason can ever justify the raining of bombs on innocent civilians, the destruction of cities that exceed the limits of mercy," Erdogan said
Does he mean Hezbollah's missiles?
I'm sure there is a chuck of Syria that Turkey covets.
Is it time to redraw the maps?
It's just another dumb luck accident by stupid Bush / Rumsfeld and their fiasco in the Middle East that we are better militarily positioned to support Israel against all of their traditional enemies than we ever have been before.
Against a rational enemy, this position would tend to stifle military adventurism. Against a desperate, perhaps suicidal enemy, the logic on the ground may have no such salutary effect.
The Iranian hand with the anti-ship missile has been exposed, as we were guessing yesterday.
So the question is only: are they merely irrational, or are they really suicidal, like their bombers?
And the North Viets used SAMs from the Soviets, and tanks from China but the Soviets & Chinese were never to blame.
The Iranians supply weapons to the World, but on a much smaller scale than either US, Russia or Israel.
Each of those mentioned claim no responsibility for how the weapons are later used.
It is Mr Chavez who is chastized for building a War machine, not the Russians, Spanish, Brazilians and Chinese for selling it to him.
We should all maintain that standard for Iran and North Korea. Or so Mr Putin inferred yesterday.
We had for North Korea and Chad in the past, allowing NorK SCUDs to be delivered after boarding the ship on the "high seas".
As foor the Iranian "advisers", bet they are pretty "clean",
no ID cards or tattoos.
I haven't seen this angle discussed, so I'm throwing it out there.
From everything I've been reading, Israeli public opinion is strongly in favor of solving this problem once and for all -- and that means Syria and Iran. Israel is a democracy. Would Ohmert's government survive a weak and partial solution to this crisis? Is that a factor in all this?
I'd certainly think so, aristide.
The tipping point may have been reached for the Israeli populous.
Ms Clift's description of US expats in Israel certainly carried that message. She could not really like it, nor understand the cause, seemed to me, but she reported on the "tension".
That people would willingly sumbit to the "toll" baffled her, I think.
Sheik Aweys also condemned American government against trying to disperse Islamic Courts in Mogadishu.
"Americans have inherited British policy which is divide and Rule and that won't be possible at this time in Somalia" he said, adding that Islamic Community in Somalia is one ( Ahlusuna Waljameeca).
"We have no what Americans termed to be Moderate Islamists or Extremists, what we know is only Islam community and that is what we are here in Somalia and every where" sheik Aweys said."
Here, there and everywhere
Desert,
This is more like when the Sovs actually flew MiGs in Nam. The infamous "Col. Tomb" was rumored to be a Russian pilot.
Let's hope it's not more like Korea and the Chinese Army coming over the Yalu. Would seem so, with Adminejad and the Syrians publicly announcing their military support and threats.
Speaking of the intl arms market, I just read the familiar stats that AK's are responsible for up to 90% in these ongoing regional wars.
Also, just last April, we sold Israel at least 100 GBU-28's, the 5,000 pound bunker busters, which they will deliver with their locally upgraded F-15's.
An Israeli officer was quoted as saying today that they have no intention of attacking Syria. If Lebanon is cleaned out I don't see why the public would have a problem with it. Syria has been there a long time.
The IDF officer emphasized that the Golan Heights frontier has been quiet since 1974, a factor which Israeli views as a vital security asset. The officer said that the Syrian air force as well as additional units are on high alert, a fact which hasn't escaped Israel's attention.
The source added that even though Syria is playing a negative role in the latest crisis, he believes that it had no direct role in the outbreak of fighting.
"Syria is a negative factor, but it is not strong enough in order to instigate all these events," the source said.
The interesting thing is that the sunni arabs are now more pro israeli than the europeans
///////////////////
Meanwhile, Lebanon sought support from fellow Arabs at an emergency session of foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday. But sharp rifts erupted over as moderate Arab states denounced Hezbollah for starting the conflict.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal called the group's actions "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible," telling his counterparts: "These acts will pull the whole region back to years ago, and we cannot simply accept them."
Supporting his stance were representatives of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, delegates said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
Another camp, led by Syria, defended Hezbollah as carrying out "legitimate acts in line with international resolutions and the U.N. charter, as acts of resistance," delegates said.
Associated Press reporters Hussein Dakroub and Hamza Hendawi in Beirut; and AP photographer Nasser Nasser from south Lebanon contributed to this report.
07-15-06 11:24 EDT
Personally, tony,
I hope they do react like the Chinese at the Yalu.
The Chinese ended up dying in the hundreds of thousands, 250,000 in a single week.
There is no doubt in my mind as to the eventual victor in a Regional military adventure.
Without Sanctuary, no Insurgency can exist for long. Remove the Sanctuary and the Sponsors, the insurgents will wither, perhaps not in their hate, but in their capacity.
Daily car bombs in Damascus, against Turkish or Jordanian or Iraqi targets would not bother me much.
The Germans had no intention of attacking Poland, w.w., they kept saying that even as they entered Warsaw.
Here's an example of pure biased propaganda passing as news from Reuters:
Israel killed at least 32 civilians on Saturday, including 15 children, in air strikes meant to punish Lebanon for letting Hizbollah guerrillas menace the Jewish state's northern border.
desert rat; 7:43 AM
Ain’t no mountain high enough
Ain’t no valley deep enough
Ain’t no river wide enough
To keep them from getting to you
(My sincere apologies to all those quite rightly offended.)
There is no substitute for victory!
2164th; 7:53 AM
You are right, there will always be jihadis; however, fanatics are not necessarily competent leaders.
Consider. Had the assassination attempt on Hitler been successful, Dresden would have survived and 100,000 Russian casualties would have been avoided in the taking of Berlin.
I do agree with your assessment of what appears to be a lack of forethought in filling the vacuum left by the demise of Syria and/or Hezbollah. Quite rightly, it must be instantly filled to the satisfaction of the West.
rufus; 9:16 AM
Oh! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Roarkes Drift
Zulu!!!!
Looks like Lebanon may be starting to cave:
Lebanese PM Siniora: After ceasefire, Lebanon`s army will deploy in south (Ch. 10)
A reporter for SkyNews, a UK-based cable news channel, is reporting that the UAV mentioned yesterday actually was used in advance of an attack on a top-secret Israeli military facility in the mountains in Northern Israel. I am not sure how much credence to give this. The reporter was transparently biased against Israel and he made another assertion repeatedly that simply defies logic. He claimed repeatedly that yes, Hezbollah was makign use of Iranian technology but that "there are no Iranians in Lebanon helping Hezbollah." He stated this twice- each time without equivocation- there are no Iranians here in Lebanon (where he is reporting from). How he knows this with absolute certainty he did not say and, to my dismay, the news anchor didn't even challenge the assertion.
This all leads me to another observation: the quality of discussion and analysis by our host and in the comment thread impress me as far better than what is being offered by many major media outlets.
Bill Kristol's advice:
For that matter, we might consider countering this act of Iranian aggression with a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. Why wait?
The answer to that question might be found in Kagan's essay of a few days ago:
And Bush would be patient. He would know that when dealing with the international community, including America's European allies, it is necessary to demonstrate that the diplomatic option has been tried and has failed. For the Europeans this means trying not once, not twice, not three times, but again and again and again and again, because at the end of the day they don't want to take any action against Iran. They must be brought along, step by tiny step, ever marginally closer to a decision until finally they must either come along or explicitly and embarrassingly retreat from their own public commitments. Bush would know he can be patient, because he does not need a resolution this month or even this year. He can keep pressing on the diplomatic front until a time of his choosing, at which point he can bring the matter to a head.
If this were Bush's strategy, he would know very well that the diplomatic track is likely to fail. He would know that Iran is unlikely to give up its program and accept the kind of intrusive inspections necessary to verify any deal. He would also know that the international community, at the end of the day, will probably refuse to support serious punitive actions against Iran. Even the European allies, let alone Russia and China, will balk at any sanctions that really have a chance of hurting the Iranian leadership. The Europeans will try to carry out a kind of Zeno's diplomacy, moving halfway toward decisive action, then another quarter of the way, then an eighth, then a sixteenth, and on and on, to avoid choosing between their two worst options: taking action against Iran, or visibly and embarrassingly retreating from taking action against Iran.
The likely failure of diplomacy would not deter Bush from pursuing it, however. If and when it failed, he would be able to choose the military course, and no fair person could accuse him of not having tried to bring the world along to do what had to be done. At least he would know in his own mind that he had sincerely given diplomacy a chance. And when he ordered the strike on Iran, he would know that, whatever else could be said about him, he would not go down in history as the man who let the mullahs have the bomb.
Right now we can afford to let events unfold as they will. If this conflict remains limited to Lebanon, then in a few months the Question of Iran will be right back at the top of the list. Worse for Iran and better for Bush, these current events will add urgency to the nuke talks by highlighting the character and intent of the Iranian regime. Iran's overreaching now could be an albatross we hang around its neck later.
If Bush has decided that, no matter what, Iran will be de-nuked, then the last thing we need is to be precipitous because we think we see a momentary advantage. If Iran stays out of the fight this time, we should be patient and play our original game. We can always bomb them, and we still have a chance to make that bombing diplomatically air-tight. We should use it.
If, however, Iran gets involved in the current conflict, then yes, we'll have to do it now. But that might not happen, and even if it does, we're not there yet.
Let events unfold.
(Of course, my advice to Israel remains the same. Targeted attacks against the supporting nodes in Syria and Iran while they can actually kill somebody.)
The Skynews reporter is wrong because Israel is now saying it was a missile, not a UAV.
Israel is going to declare martial law for some cities, because of the rocket attacks.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz was expected on Saturday evening to declare a "special security situation" in Israel, enabling certain cities to be subject to martial law. The status constitutes the second highest level of alert before an emergency status...
Under such a situation, the instructions given by the Home Front Command, previously considered recommendations, would become obligatory. Businesses, factories and schools may be ordered to be shut down, while the declaration is in effect.
It would also allow for businesses that would be closed following the extreme security status, to receive compensation for money lost.
aristides; 9:51 AM
I have no answers to your questions that I would want to live with. However, I do have a related question: Can Olmert's government survive being perceived as the cause of the present predicament?
The Israeli are saying that the UAV "mentioned yesterday actually was used in advance of an attack on a top-secret Israeli military facility in the mountains in Northern Israel..." was by missile, not UAV?
There was an attack on an Israeli mountain redoubt, but by missile, not UAV, confirmed by the Israeli???
Looks like Lebanon may be starting to cave:
Lebanese PM Siniora: After ceasefire, Lebanon`s army will deploy in south (Ch. 10)
This will of course not be good enough. Israel has demanded that their soldiers be returned before they will agree to a cease fire and Siniora didn't mention that in his statement (at least not in linked article). Also, the Israelis have demanded implementation of 1559, disarming of HB.
If Siniora guaranteed both those things Israel might stand down. I don't see it happening.
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora called Saturday for an immediate cease-fire brokered by the United Nations, to end Israel's land, sea and air offensive against Lebanon.
Addressing the nation four days into a devastating military blitz that targeted the country's infrastructure, Saniora, his voice cracking with emotion, pledged to reassert government authority all over Lebanese territory, an allusion to the possibility of deploying the Lebanese army in south Lebanon, which is effectively controlled by Hezbollah guerrillas.
Such a move would meet a repeated U.N. and U.S. demand.
Can Olmert's government survive being perceived as the cause of the present predicament?
Insofar as it was Olmert's perceived weakness in policy from which the dissatisfication derives, the political pressure to overcompensate in the other direction may be irresistible. There are a lot of factors at play, and everything is fluid; it's hard to see how it will ultimately congeal.
The IDF is Israeli military, so this is a confirmation it was a rocket, not UAV. (From Jerusalem Post)
An IDF investigation into the attack showed that Hizbullah had fired an Iranian-made C-802 missile at the vessel from the shores of Lebanon, said Brig.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan. The IDF responded by destroying all Lebanese radar stations along the coast.
A senior IDF intelligence official says that Iran has approximately 100 soldiers in Lebanon and that they helped Hizbullah hit an Israel Navy ship with an anti-ship missile.
"We can confirm that it was hit by an Iranian-made missile launched by Hizbullah. We see this as very profound fingerprint of Iranian involvement in Hizbullah," Nehushtan said in an interview with The Associated Press.
They also repaired the ship sufficiently to sail under its own control.
Israel Navy warship Hanit arrived at Ashdod port on Saturday evening.
The ship was struck Friday evening by an Iranian-made C-802 missile launched from Lebanon.
The ship was initially towed towards Israel, though it regained its sailing capabilities en route, and continued to Ashdod under its own power.
This is no more Mr Olmert's "fault" than 9-11 was Mr Bush's. The Policies of Mr Sharon & Mr Olmert's resume were just ratified in their election. The Israeli knew who and what they were voting for. As did the Palistinians.
Not much talk of leaving the West Bank, now.
He seems to be handling the "sea change" well, so far.
w.w., sterling was talking about
the UAV mentioned yesterday actually was used in advance of an attack on a top-secret Israeli military facility in the mountains in Northern Israel
Was that attack confirmed, not by UAV but by missile?
Was an attack on a mountain base confirmed at all?
I think Lebanon saying "uncle" is enough to start the process. IMO Israel will now focus on Hezbollah, being careful not to hit the Lebanese government while the details are being negotiated. Israel will definitely not agree to the immediate cease fire, but may be able to change the targeting somewhat. There is no need to hit the non-Hezbollah part of Lebanon if they are prepared to cooperate.
I haven't heard of any attack on Israeli military facilities other than by Hezbollah's standard rockets. They definitely have targeted those facilities, in fact the defense minister was at one while it was attacked, but as far as I know they were Katyushka rockets.
WuWei: I should have clarified... when I wrote "actually was used in advance of an attack on a top-secret Israeli military facility in the mountains in Northern Israel." I meant that he reported that the UAV was involved, perhaps in spotting the location (I think this was his remark) and that a missile hit the mountain redoubt based on info provided by the UAV. And that, the SkyNews reporter claimed, was done without any help from Iranians because they are not there.
Aristedes,
Would Ohmert's government survive a weak and partial solution to this crisis? Is that a factor in all this?
There has been some analysis that suggests that Olmert's reason for being so uncompromising regarding the Gaza incident was that he is new and trying to prove himself and that he is still under Sharon's shadow. Mostly that was at Haaretz, fwiw. I don't think he's merely trying to prove himself. I think he's doing what the Israelis have said they would do since they withdrew from Leb and Gaza.
I don't think he is being tough just to be tough. Even Mubarek reported that a deal was close to being agreed on in which Shalit would be returned and Israel would release prisoners at a later date. So Olmert was being flexible in order to solve the crisis. Mubarek said the deal was broken because of unnamed outside influences on Hamas, which were assumed to be Syria and/or Iran.
All sides are blustering and perhaps exagerating what they can do or will do. Israel certainly has the power to back up their statements but they may not be intending to do things that they say. Right? It's a war.
Regarding a solution to the crisis I think that at a minimum Israel has to push HB back from the border and regain all their kidnapped soldiers, or their bodies (if it is at all humanely possible). I don't think they have to destroy Syria and Iran for this crises to be considered a success by the Israeli public. The term they always use is "changing the rules of the game." These rules must be changed big-time for a victory to be claimed.
I do agree though that Olmert's job is on the line. If he makes bad mistakes or appears weak he could be out in a matter of days. He is a politician as well as commander-in-chief so I'm sure he's well aware of the political ramifications of his actions.
SDH, I agree with you, we have finally crossed the threshhold where the Web (Belmont, Pajamas, commenters) are more informative than TV. I have always believed that TV had the edge when it comes to breaking events like this, because they have reporters on the ground, and the global communications to deliver live info from the zone. But now, the sheer volume of input is overwhelming the few "stories" that the networks will follow, and the number of "reporters" and "analysts" on the web dwarfs the network sources.
We have crossed the chasm, the Web has become the Eyes of the World.
Meanwhile, the MSM is basically spreading Arab propaganda. My local Inky, running the AP story, includes such boners as these:
1. the hundreds of guys who ran through the blown-down border from Egypt to Gaza were "students and patients who were trapped there since the Rafah closing." GUFFAW!
2. Hezbollah has developed these so far mythical drones on their own. GUFFAW!
3. They quote some guy out of the blue as speaking for all Lebanese, saying they will all fight to the death. GUFFAW!
If this was an anti-ship missile, it probably had radar-guidance technologies imported by IRAN from China or Russia, or at least developed in Iran. If this was a drone, it would need secure comms and telemetry channels, in addition to all of the sophistication required of the airframe to follow remote piloting commands. There's no way Hezbollah has these capabilities. It's Iran's.
And if these are cutting-edge Iranian military devices, you can bet they didn't just put them in a container and ship them to Lebanon. They would absolutley need skilled operators and technicians.
If it goes up one more notch, and we start seeing Silkworms and such advanced Chicomm or Soviet weapons, heavy suppressive bombardments will soon follow.
All the while, I think of the weeks I spent in Iran in '77, the kindness of the family that put me up for a week in their apartment to return a favor I happened to render to someone I met on the bus through Turkey. I remember walking the streets of what was then a very modern part of the Middle East. We must remember that we are at war with Islamofascists, not their oppressed peoples.
In places like "Palestine," Sadr City and Ramadi, it's hard to tell the difference, I know. But they are the cancers, they are not the body.
"A senior IDF officer said the ship was struck by an Iranian-made C802 missile "
I think there hasn't been a need for the emergency government, so the current coalition has stuck together. Probably figuring, why let the opposition share in the political gains from war? The main reason to expand the coalition would be to bring right wingers in if the current partners wouldn't go far enough in the war. So far that wasn't necessary.
If it goes up one more notch, and we start seeing Silkworms and such advanced Chicomm or Soviet weapons, heavy suppressive bombardments will soon follow.
If it was a C-802 missile then this is a Chicomm design, sold to the Iranians and it is similar to or more advanced than the Silkworm.
If the Israelis destroyed all the radar installations on the coast, as mentioned above, this makes sense. This missile has an inertial guidance system, used during cruise phase to get the missile near to its target, and a radar guidance system, used when close to the target to find the target. The land-based radars would have been used to find the warship prior to launch, since it was about ten miles out.
"SDH, I agree with you, we have finally crossed the threshhold where the Web (Belmont, Pajamas, commenters) are more informative than TV. I have always believed that TV had the edge when it comes to breaking events like this, because they have reporters on the ground, and the global communications to deliver live info from the zone. But now, the sheer volume of input is overwhelming the few "stories" that the networks will follow, and the number of "reporters" and "analysts" on the web dwarfs the network sources."
The TV news has become almost completely useless. Wrapped in their groupthink and developed narratives ("cycle of violence"), they're often nothing but agitprop. Israel's biggest danger is the neutralization of its greatest ally by the false media narrative of two equally guilty parties who for some reason, just can't stop fighting. Within that context, Israeli methods look like overkill.
However, with a few minutes of analysis, often draped in 70s mindsets and narratives, that's the best these overpaid talking heads can do.
It looks like I guessed right:
> 21:58 Sources close to [Israeli] PM [Prime Minister]: Lebanon`s call for ceasefire step in right direction (Ch. 10)
"The TV news has become almost completely useless."
I exaggerate a bit, the occasional guest appearance by someone such as Dennis Ross can be very informative. But even there, the news format is too limiting in comparison with a written one.
"And Bush would be patient. He would know that when dealing with the international community, including America's European allies, it is necessary to demonstrate that the diplomatic option has been tried and has failed. For the Europeans this means trying not once, not twice, not three times, but again and again and again and again, because at the end of the day they don't want to take any action against Iran. They must be brought along, step by tiny step, ever marginally closer to a decision until finally they must either come along or explicitly and embarrassingly retreat from their own public commitments."
Kagan's essay is very good. At some point, however, we need to assert that these aren't allies, except in the lowest common definition of the term. People who have to be cajoled to act in their best interests, simply because they dislike your nation and accent, are not worth the term - even if they contribute a few thousands troops to Afghanistan as a sop to reality.
from CNN: Israel would agree to a cease fire under terms of UN resolutions
An Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman responded to Siniora's remarks, saying that Lebanon triggered the crisis by failing to disarm Hezbollah.
"This whole crisis was initiated by aggression by Lebanon into Israel," said Mark Regev.
If Siniora "had done his job correctly," followed relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and disarmed Hezbollah, "this crisis would have been averted," Regev added.
Israel is willing to implement a cease-fire in accordance with those resolutions, he said.
Cutler said: "The TV news has become almost completely useless. Wrapped in their groupthink and developed narratives ("cycle of violence"), they're often nothing but agitprop."
I feel inclined to agree with that assessment. The TV news is, in many regards, publishing what might best be called political pornography. And I, being the red-blooded American male that I am, do watch it...but only for the pictures. ;-)
On a serious note, I have really begun to wonder if the day is fast approaching when if you don't read blogs you aren't well informed on a topic.
The major networks are certainly good for being able to have people on the ground, but they can't be everywhere and are often reliant on, and hence beholden to, locals to get the to certain locations. This undoubtedly skews their coverage.
The internet, digital cameras, cellphones with cameras, and a host of other technologies are combining to make it possible for more than one story to get out. This is news to no reader here, of course, but it is interesting to see how Pajamas and TTLB are providing access to voices and views that the major media is either unaware of or doesn't care to know about.
desert rat; 11:37 AM
Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan are Israeli icons. Nevertheless, they are generally considered to have been ill prepared and myopic in 1973, permitting Israel to suffer near defeat at the initiation of the Yom Kippur War. It is not unreasonable to consider the Sharon/Olmert government just so with respect to both Gaza and Lebanon. Just as in 1973, the Arabs have not been reluctant to state their objectives and act accordingly. The refusal of the Olmert government to listen is, in fact reminiscent of 1973.
Utopia - yup.
This could start looking like the Falklands War, where two well- but not evenly-equipped modern militaries clash.
Considering the Falklands, where the Brits used the nuke hunter-killer sub HMS Challenger to sink the Gen. Belgrano, and the Argentines used Super Etenards to deliver Exocets on the HMS Sheffield ... the Israelis are acting like Americans, fighting with their hands in their pockets.
Interesting snip from Wikipedia's page on the Falklands War:
In 2005, a book written by President Mitterrand's psychoanalyst, Ali Magoudi, gave a different account of French co-operation, quoting him as saying: "I had a difference to settle with the Iron Lady. That Thatcher, what an impossible woman! With her four nuclear submarines in the South Atlantic, she's threatening to unleash an atomic weapon against Argentina if I don't provide her with the secret codes that will make the missiles we sold the Argentinians deaf and blind." [4]
It is not clear how the Argentines were able to launch all of their available missiles.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Cedah,
one of the last voices out there extolling the genius of Rumsfeld and your Beloved Maximum War Leader - Thank you!
But, you know I don't bicker.
We tried the not fighting back thing all through the 90's, and that got us to 9/11. Ergo, not fighting back is once again proven to not be a good strategy in war.
The Islamofascists would be doing what they are doing now, and more, if we were doing something else. Seeing their aggression as inevitable, we are much better positioned to confront them than we were previous to OIF.
Remember, we're the GREAT Satan, Israel is just Lil Satan Jr.
Back when Israel vacated the Gaza many here said, "just wait" the hammer will hit the anvil.
Well that opportunity is upon Israel, in spades.
As per plan, according to some.
Will they roll on out, cleansing the problem as promised, or roll on home, in another week to 10 days?
Leaving south Lebanon to the Lebanonese Army, which is less effective, no doubt, than the ISF.
That is no viable long term solution for Israel.
The problem with the no holds barred war theory of just blasting everyone is that it doesn't work. Everytime it has been tried it fails. In Vietnam we carpet bombed, naplam'd, used daisy cutters and everything else we could think of. Saddam Hussein gassed 100,000 Iranians and still couldn't win the Iran - Iraq war.
I don't know why anyone would think that everyone will give up just because they see others get killed. Many people are not that weak. Some men were tortured by Saddam Hussein, lost an eye or a limb, and still kept coming at him.
If China got the upper hand and started carpet bombing in the US, would you give up and support Mao's People's Republic of America?
WOW! There are no details yet. Maybe the UN is useful for something.
> U.N. council unanimously votes for weapons-related sanctions on N. Korea
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday to impose weapons-related sanctions on North Korea in response to its flurry of missile tests that provoked an international outcry.
The resolution demands that North Korea "suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program." It requires all U.N. members to prevent imports to or exports from North Korea of missiles and missile-related items as well as materials and funds that could be used in weapons of mass destruction programs.
To avert a veto from China, the resolution does not mention Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, a provision used to make council documents legally binding. But Security Council members said the resolution was nonetheless mandatory because of the way it was worded.
If Japan and the United States reach an agreement with China and Russia to accept the compromise plan, the Security Council could adopt the proposal unanimously. A vote on the final resolution and its adoption by the Security Council was possible by as early as Saturday afternoon.
In the revised draft, the passage stating that the Security Council would "act under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter," was changed to "act under Article 40 of Chapter 7" and excluded the possibility of military action or economic sanctions.
Article 40 stipulates that to prevent an aggravation of the situation, the Security Council may call upon the parties concerned to comply with such "provisional measures" as are deemed necessary or desirable. Article 41 stipulates economic sanctions and Article 42 enables the Security Council to use force.
But China also opposed the use of Chapter 7 itself in the revised draft, stressing it would veto a resolution that mentions it.
According to Security Council sources, following the failure of Japan and China to reach an agreement on the revised draft resolution, Britain and France proposed the deletion of Article 40 from the draft amendment in the Friday night meeting. As an alternative, the wording "the Security Council should act under the special responsibility to maintain international peace and safety" was used. Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya showed his intention to support the compromise proposal and to pitch the proposal to his government.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told reporters after the closed meeting that it would be possible for the United States to support a resolution that does not mention Chapter 7, which is the first hint that the United States would be willing to omit references to the chapter in the resolution.
The revised draft also changes the wording that the missile launches by North Korea are seen "as a threat to international peace and safety" to saying they "endanger regional peace, security and safety."
The initial draft resolution also "requires" U.N. member nations not to transfer or procure materials that would contribute to Pyongyang's nuclear development. The revised draft changes "requires" to "calls for."
27 minutes old for background
U.S. plans 'air bridge' out of Lebanon, officials say
WW Said
"Saddam Hussein gassed 100,000 Iranians and still couldn't win the Iran - Iraq war."
Iraq crushed Iran in 1988 when they went from a static front strategy to armored manuevers.
In six locations over six months, Iraqi Republican Guards using combined arms tactics penetrated over 100 km into Iran and encircled key towns and terrain.
Iran sued for peace in a panic.
Had Iraq wanted to do so, they could have held onto large parts of Iran, but they pulled back.
Iraq won the war in 1988.
go mika go!
Very good summary of the Falklands War.
There were a number of successful SAS raids.
http://www.naval-history.net/NAVAL1982FALKLANDS.htm
bobalharb:
We start field work Aug 15th. Coop tells me they are fully stocked on all inputs as are their upstream suppliers. I had some issues getting enough Nitrate last fall so was concerned.
I also know from VP at Motiva that US reserve tanks are almost full for both feedstock and refined products.
Uh, it takes Israel about six days to fully mobilize. We are at day four.
Patience.
Besides the moon phase is wrong.
Unless, bob, you want to bet on the futures value of the diesel.
It'll be available, the Stategic Reserves are also full, but at what price?
I wouldn't be shorting gasoline, diesel or oil for November.
Officials at the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office responded to the ceasefire request by Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and said that dismantling the Hizbullah and deploying the Lebanese army along the Israeli-Lebanese border are some of the objectives of the IDF operation. They also said that "There won't be ceasefire until the two abducted soldiers are returned."
Looks like a screw up prevented the missile attack on the Israeli ship from being intercepted.
Link
Initial probe into attack on missile boat Friday reveals Navy had no intelligence of possible missile threat in area where boat was operating; missile, aircraft interception system was turned off due to presence of IDF planes in sector
-----------------
The actions taken by crewmembers of the IDF missile boat that sustained a direct Hizbullah missile hit Friday, prevented a great disaster that could have resulted in numerous casualties, an initial inquiry into the incident reveals.
Brigadier-General Noam Page of the Navy said in a press conference Saturday that the Navy was unaware that a missile threat existed in the sector, and that the boat's crew had acted accordingly.
Missile boats are equipped with a missile interception system capable of automatically intercepting any missile or aircraft approaching it. However, as the boat was operating in an area where a large number of IDF planes were present, the Navy had refrained from activating the system.
Navy sources said that had they known the Hizbullah was in possession of missiles of the type used against the boat Saturday, the missile interception system would have been turned on.
C-4,
Numbers are important if you engage in a war of attrition. We have a political system that will not support it. What is the daily casualty count today? It is in some paper.
I prefer disinformation, stealth, economics, politics, alliances, assasinations, proxy, surrogates and when necessary hard fought conventional. I think we can get the right Muslims to kill the proper Islamists using a combination of the above. I do not care how it is done as long as it works. I am sure we could all drink to that.
This from Austin Bay. I feel much better now.
"Unfortunately, Iran has the petro-dollars to reconstitute Hezbollah– unless the Lebanese can act in concert with the Israelis to police terrorists using Lebanese territory. To truly police terrorists in Lebanon –which entails denying them logistics support as well as territory for bases– means regime change in Syria. Dealing Hezbollah more than a temporary defeat means terminating the Assad regime in Damascus."
18 whlr.....sort of for home and shoe-fly-pie.
WoW!
Holistic Trucker!
Cool!
I bet he brakes lightly for Global Warming.
As well as children.
"brakes"
whatever
I thought I wrote "breaks"!!!
Just shows I shouldn't second guess myself like that.
At least w/o checking first.
2:19 PM,
If I know the house is going to catch fire, I'll put batteries in the fire alarm before I go to bed.
Jerusalem Post
48-72 hours left?
Lebanon continues to shoot rockets, so they have no cause to complain about no cease fire.
Israel believes it has a 48-72-hour "window of opportunity" to pound Hizbullah and damage its operational capabilities before the world steps in and stops the fighting, senior diplomatic officials in Jerusalem said Saturday night.
The officials noted positively that Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora had said Saturday at a press conference that his government would reassert government authority over all Lebanese territory - an allusion to the possibility of deploying the Lebanese army in south Lebanon, which is effectively controlled by Hizbullah.
Senior sources in the Prime Minister's Office said that dislodging Hizbullah from southern Lebanon and getting the government in Beirut to assert its authority over the area as called for by UN Security Council Resolution 1559 were among the primary goals of the IDF's current campaign. However, the officials said, the two abducted IDF soldiers also needed to be returned.
"It is a good plan," one senior diplomatic official said of Saniora's statement. "The big question is whether he has the ability to do it."
The official said the deployment of Lebanon's army south would be a good way out of the crisis. "But Israel would also like more time to inflict more damage on Hizbullah's operational capabilities," he said.
"It's an excellent declaration but he doesn't need our permission...We have to see what they do and not what they say," Vice Premier Shimon Peres told Israel's Channel 2 TV. He said Lebanon has to prove it is serious by deploying on the southern border. "A foreign body has entered the area and it's your job to get them out of there," he said.
I need some help understanding the enclosed blog from Beirut.
If I understand correctly, the Spanish government had the foresight or the forewarning to evacuate some of its citizens before the airport's closure.
If the Spanish Ministry of Defense had forewarning, how? From whom? Did the US?
Much food for thought is found in this blog.
http://remarkze.blogspot.com/2006/07/
repatriation.html
Found at http://truthlaidbear.com/mideastcrisis.php
The Korean War and Desert Storm 1 both came from UN resolutions.
It just takes awhile to get to the one that counts.
North Korea "totally rejects" the U.N. Security Council resolution condemning its recent series of missile tests, its U.N. ambassador said on Saturday.
"It is clear to everyone that there is no need for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to unilaterally put on hold the missile launches under such a situation," Ambassador Pak Gil Yon told the council following the vote, using his country's formal name.
The measure had "the despicable aim of isolating and putting pressure" on his government, he said. "The DPRK's missile development therefore serves as a key to keep the balance of force and preserving peace and stability in Northeast Asia."
The envoy's remarks prompted a sharp retort from U.S. Ambassador John Bolton.
"This has been a historic day. Not only have we unanimously adopted Resolution 1695, but North Korea has set a world record in rejecting it within 45 minutes after its adoption," Bolton said.
"The DPRK's missile development therefore serves as a key to keep the balance of force and preserving peace and stability in Northeast Asia.""
What he is really saying is that [it] is going to get us lots of money and other assistance and they are not going to stop until it does.
They may be in for a disappointing time.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Isn't that "play" on Wu we verging on Cultural Insensitivity?
Maybe he's only partially hole.
Dang It!
"Whole"
Probly just partial to holes.
Austin Bay said:"Dealing Hezbollah more than a temporary defeat means terminating the Assad regime in Damascus."
The source is in Iran, the source of most of the recruits, most of it's money and all of it's hate.
The only way to terminiate these thugs is to kill them. Not prison, they will just be let loose sometime in the future, plus there are way too many of them to deal with.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Allen, 3:08 PM:
GWB and Fox had a "session" kind of like a seance, where they were channeling
Karnack the Magnificent on
"Borders and Spanish Speaking Peoples"
That's what came out of it.
If true, the following report by Yourish helps explain the media’s ease in getting gory civilian casualty film. Arabs are consummate warriors.
http://www.yourish.com/2006/07/15/1675
“Hezbullah war crimes”
Trish said,
"The only way we're getting regime change anytime soon is by putting something in the water.
That I guarantee."
---
Tony votes for the New Jersey.
I'll vote for Gators.
---
Teach them suiciders to carry pet gators around, then when the virgins call, get themselves swallowed in crowded Malls.
doug; 3:54 PM
No! No! No!
If the two had been channeling, Hezbollah would simply empty the refugee camps and march the “immigrants” across the Israeli border. Mr. Bush and Mr. Fox would wildly applaud such a violation of Israel’s nation sovereignty. The Vatican would canonize Mr. Nasrallah. The blind would see. The deaf would hear. The dead would live. Oh, what a wonderful world it would be, much like parts of Los Angeles.
Someone really has to have a talk with Hezbollah and explain the facts of life.
Green People Eaters.
4:09 PM
Habu:
That's when you got a swelled head, and they order your ego altered.
Sometimes they just convert you into a preacher, and give you an
Altar Ego.
allen 4:09 PM,
They'll blow up Jewish Children that Jews aren't willing to explode.
A Diverse workforce is an adaptable workforce.
When ol' Fidel finally falls off the stage, what is Raul gonna do, enter stage left, or bow out.
Let me think now ...
Think they'd cancel the October suprise?
doug; 4:18 PM
For all their purported studious observation of the West, the Iranians and Hezbollah have failed to learn a lesson from Mr. Bush that would entirely change the character of the ME, in particular, Israel, without firing a shot. You see, unrestricted immigration is a policy fully supported by Mr. Bush. By this process, a nation’s historic paradigm and demographic constitution can be utterly overturned; all with a smile, a handshake, and a “Hale friend, well met.”
For every human problem there is a solution which is quick, easy, and wrong, someone said, I think. It was not Mr. Bush, I am fairly certain.
Rat, know much about these 155's?
allen
That's "Yale friend, we met"
Texican rhetoric, Bostonian policy.
All Hat.
All Wet.
Not me, Jr would, he was, is 'til 15 Aug, the cannon cocker in the clan.
Big guns and tanks, always seemed like targets to stay away from, to me.
Jeeps & 5 ton dump trucks, airlifted mini dozers and demo were more in my line of active military experience.
Cuttin' trees for LZs & stuff.
The long war.
The short sun.
Essay material.
"son"
damn, that's what I get for foolin around.
fergit how to spel.
We,
Who else?
"Wei"
If "we" were, we'd be out.
Argument with Ump:
"Who, We???"
193 IB-518 Eng CZ
3-7 SFG
School of the Americas
'79-82 No tattoos
Espanol basta
82-84 fun in the civilian sun
Didn't need uniforms nor ID cards, north of Panama, south of Mexico.
C-4's confused.
GWB was talking about IUDs.
Shoring up the Christian Conservative Base.
...that being the only one he's been true to.
Sometimes.
Coulda, shoulda, woulda...
If the Israeli had only known they did not have air superiority, they could have had it. But they did not know, so they weren't, like Boy Scouts, prepared.
The much vaunted Mossad let 'em down?
Or maybe we can get Dan Rather the blame for this one.
The rockets continue to rain on Israel, counter battery not as good as hoped, obviously. Neither the inland launch zones nor the Coast line of Lebanon not "swept clean" yet.
How much more effective will the US be on the Persian Gulf coast?
On my atlas the Iranian coastline looks a lot longer than Lebanon's.
Reminiscent of the great Scud Hunt.
...or a Zionist plot.
Just to give them more time to wreak havoc or worse.
5:28 PM,
Yeah, but they're not Arabs,
and were not Jews.
Well, not all of us aren't.
I bet Helprin's wrote more books than 'Rat.
Looks like the US is still the only friend Israel has. Even the UK was ready to do something.
The U.N. Security Council on Saturday again rejected pleas that it call for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon after the United States objected, diplomats said.
Washington argued in closed-door talks that the focus for Middle East diplomacy for now should be on the weekend summit in St Petersburg of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, council diplomats said.
It was the sole member of the 15-nation U.N. body to oppose any council action at all at this time, they said...
The council planned another discussion of the conflict on Monday, and hoped to soon begin work on a "substantive" response to the conflict, said French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the council president for July.
For a liberal, a defeated IUD just means an extra trip to the Doc.
Anyone that's written a book has written more books than I.
But I have compiled a couple, over the years.
Cut and paste, that's more my line.
As Dirty Harry said,
"Man's got to know his limitations"
Helprin said 35 minutes to take out the Iranian Navy.
Not being a writer, you'd probably disagree.
Well for those that do not get doug's reference to Mr Helprin can check this WFB, NRO '04 article.
He wrote it 18 months into the campaign in Iraq, the situation has not gotten better, since.
Well Bob Dole must have told him, doug
powerlineblog.com
"Michael Ledeen and John Podhoretz disagree about how well the Bush administration is handling the situation in the Middle East. Ledeen is disturbed that administration folks like Steve Hadley and Secretary Rice are talking "lawyer and diplotalk," when in fact the war presents an opportunity for Israel to smash Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, to place the Assad regime in jeopardy, and to humiliate Iran.
Podhoretz counters that Bush "has, in effect, given Israel a green light by saying it has the right to defend itself but not to be disproportionate — which is code for saying what Israel has done so far is not disproportionate." He finds that "once again the Bush administration has proved itself the best friend Israel has ever had — and, relative to almost any other administration one could think of, standing up to appeasing world opinion here in a very resolute manner."
"
It took more than 35 minutes to clear the "Highway of Death"
The Iranians have got a lot of little boats, just like the one that sidelined the USS Cole.
And bigger, like the ones that captured those Brits a few months or maybe a year ago. Can we blame that on RoEs' or Mr Rather?
So far in this tit for tat PR battle in Lebanon, I'd say the Hezbollah folk are a bit ahead.
Time will tell.
Where is Armagedden in relation to the "front"?
Ledeen @ NRO,
"At that moment, we should want Hizbollah destroyed in both Lebanon and Syria, Assad under attack from his own people for playing this awful game, and Khamenei humiliated as the artefice of a failed operation. We should be openly calling for regime change in Damascus and Tehran, on the grounds that the civilized world cannot any longer tolerate tyrannical murderers calling the shots in the Middle East and elsewhere.
But we have not heard anything about "seizing the moment." We hear lawyer talk and diplotalk, surrender talk and appeasement talk, and there is no action whatsoever. Is this not the time to go after the terrorist training camps in Syria and Iran? What in the world are we waiting for?
And finally, if we dither through this one, the next one will be worse. Maybe much worse. It's not going away. Stability is a mirage. Chamberlain had a choice between dishonor and war. He chose dishonor and got war anyway. You too, Mr. President. It's the way it works."
doug, it's war or retreat.
We've been retreating, trying to "stabilize" our way out.
We have yet to establish the Enemy, or Damascus would have fallen three years ago.
Smoke and mirrors. If by Thursday the Israeli armor is not on the Syrian borader in the Bekaa, those dead children in Beirut, they will have given their lives in vain.
That would be a real crime or at least a real shame.
Hewitt Calls out Wretch:
I look forward to reading the analysis of InFromTheCold ,
The Belmont Club
and BelgraviaDispatch on the significance of the Iranian intervention in this crisis.
I hope that each will consider it soon, and from the premise that the intelligence is accurate, and that it was Revolutionary Guard operating the system(s) and the system(s) were iranian in origin.
Condi's got more degrees than you, 'Rat.
If victory is not achieved and Mr Assad not destabilized by his losses, the Israeli reaction will have been neither proportionate nor effective.
Then the dead children do become the story
And there will be more dead Lebanonese children than Israeli, about a 25 to 1 ratio, it seems.
I've had more wives
I still think the selective silence about sanctuaries (shh!) is deafening.
As if Clinton would not be getting holy hell from us for repeating the lessons of Vietnam.
Different Jokes for different folks, I guess.
Jokes on us.
doug; 5:57 PM
Without excessively burdening the issue, Mr. Ledeen is an intellectual; Mr. Podhoretz is a hack.
For those who have the stomach to read Mr. Podhoretz, it is well known that if Mr. Bush were to say, "Brokeback Mountain", Mr. Podhoretz would say, "Baa!"
:-)
An EDUCATION, to be sure!
"Truce" is such a simple word.
That was to 'Rat, but it might work for Jpod.
...I really don't get why "the right" acts like he's some sort of great thinker.
...like Andy Sullivan.
desert rat; 6:14 PM
That is so beyond the Beltway, Twentieth century.
We tried, doug
Ratline to Parrot's Beak,
but none on the "right" will permit a comparison to 'Nam, on the "left" it's expanding the war.
So the Baathists get a pass in Damascus.
Jr's under a month short, at Le June, so time don't mean nothin' but a thing, now.
It'll be someone else's "Long War".
We're all goin' to the beach.
Dan,
Nazis and AUTHORITARIANS:
Triumph of the authoritarians
----
JOHN W. DEAN
That was the early hope, rufus, after Pop Doc passed on to his grapes. The English educated "Baby" Doc was going to "lighten up", instead it seems they've tighten up.
There's always hope.
Lil' Kim will miss his payments on that printing press, thereby causing a "Banking crisis"
trish; 6:39 PM
How so?
And the Trish plan is?
6:44 PM I thought of that, meself.
As was said about North Korea, prior to the G8 meeting
"... "They are right whether we like it or not," Putin emphasized. ..."
6:45 PM - Should try Gordon Liddy's.
That "soul" would REALLY be lost there!
6:46 PM,
I liked it.
...but just for it's comedic value.
Funny, never crossed my mind.
Pootie Poot is a Cutie Cute.
How come everybody (but us) has to have a new reactor?
Not to sound green, but how about
Wind Farms?
...or Sand Factories?
Turn about fair play, seems to me.
Sand-Blasted Wind Farms.
While I hope this is not an accurate quote, if true, it may answer many questions.
"I think I would answer that by telling you I don't think we're losing." – Peter J. Schoomaker, General, United States Army Chief of Staff
“Is U.S. Winning?”
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/
iraq/complete/la-na-usiraq15jul15,1,4006116.
story?ctrack=1&cset=true
You know, you may be right, Rufus. Business man is the operative term. After all, the Syrians must have seen the fruits of Lebanon's recent spring and wondered if they were making the right choices.
Do Energizer Bunnies work as Rocket Batteries?
If you want to read a hell of a thread, go here.
Aristedes, re your link:
First thought that comes to mind is Israel gets the task of trying to make ammends for others, (this time our) failures to act.
Had more than one opportunity in the last 5 years, but last 2-3 we've been hand-sitting.
Sad for all involved.
And the same thing goes on in Iran.
I don't have any idea who Youssef M. Ibrahim is (didn't he used to be a folk singer named Cat Stevens?) but he may have a point.
And Rufus (@ 6:36 PM), I think you may have a point as well.
Jamie Irons
That's how I see it, too. Israel is not required to worry about the kreminological schizophrenia and subtle sectarian nuance of her Lebanese neighbor. A commenter in that thread said it succinctly: "Next time you've got a rabid dog in your back yard, consider that the way to render him harmless to your neighbor is something a little more to the point than a protest or a UN resolution."
Also, something of interest (along the line of Rufus's speculation). One of the Lebanese commenters said:
The worst of the war is going on between Hezbollah and Syria in the south. You can't cross the border there, either, because they will both shoot you.
That's the first I've seen that. Doesn't make it true, but the implications if it is are huge.
No updates from Prof Landis.
Maybe he's Jewish?
Ho ho.
Any hints on what those implications might be would be appreciated here.
Jamie,
That Cat would be 'Yusuf Islam'
(born Stephen Demetre Georgiou)
Produced some amazing lyrics, but no WSJ pieces, to my knowledge.
Jamie,
from an earlier thread:
re: the Cossacks, did you read
"Love and Honor?"
re: General Schoomaker
If we are not winning and we are not losing, are we in some sort of martial limbo? Perhaps, a no-mans-land called quagmire? You can be sure the question will be asked. Let us hope the lights are on at the Pentagon.
trish; 8:19 PM
I guess we will eventually find out. In his defense, he does not rely on exclusive sourcing from the White House Press Office, unlike some notorious conservative hacks.
Trish didn't give her plan.
Just what's wrong with everybody elses.
I think Iran has shown its hand with the C-802s and its advisors helping with the attack.
I believe two can play at that game. What is good for goose is good for the gander.
Further, I would not mind seeing one of Iran's ships sink to the bottom because of some unexplained "catastrophic explosion."
Further, Iran must not get the bomb. If they do you can bet they will use it.
I agree with some a Allen's ideas:
...if the Syrian government were to collapse and were the real Lebanese government/military confident in unwavering, non-duplicitous US and Israeli support, the Western flank would be secured promptly and Iran would be surrounded.
I agree that eliminating Assad and his thugs would turn the tables on Iran. Although, the Europeans don't want him gone - he has to go none the less.
Karridine said: ...I'm betting Israel can step a LONG WAY over any 'lines' in order to clobber their enemies, and it won't make much difference to the Jew-hating, America-loating media reporting!
Yes, I agree.
Any civilian casualties will be hyped to the max by the MSM. It really doesn't make much difference any more - the MSM is firmly entrenched with the enemy.
Rat, the fact that Israel's "air superiority" was something less than expected is water under the bridge.
Now to the immediate problem. Israel's air superiority must be restored.
In fact, I would like it restored to the point where rotor wing gun ships can freely roam Lebanon.
The IAF is still in the sky and doing fairly well. But they need help now.
I would suggest that we give them whatever munitions and the spare-parts to keep there aircraft flying.
Doug mentions an "Air Bridge" for people. I think the same could apply for munitions, parts and possibly spare aircraft (remember the Lend Lease Act of just before WWII). Something along the lines of the Lend Lease Act would be beneficial at this point.
I do believe it necessary to get the material to Israel as quickly as possible.
The quickest way is air lift. I am sure there are plenty of ways to get it done. If worse comes to worse, fly the material to a midpoint and let the Israelis fly it back to their bases.
If the Israelis can keep up a sustained air campaign it will go along way toward targeting the rockets and other munitions being fired at them. Surpression of those rockets is needed now (the Patriot systems will work against larger slower missiles and UAVs but not small rockets).
But, at some point, the Israelis will have to use ground forces to root out majority of those munitions and dead-end terrorists hiding in bunkers. Solid air cover would be a necessity.
Israel is a small country surrounded by larger ones. I say we give them a helping hand. It's just fair play.
Doug,
I know; I was trying to be funny (always a mistake!) with the "Cat" thing...
(Peace train soundin' louder...)
No, I haven't read "Love and Honor" -- is it good?
Jamie Irons
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