Posted on 08/23/2006 5:16:07 AM PDT by IrishMike
A preemptive-war policy keeps the enemy from fighting on its own terms. 'WE ARE walking with open eyes into our next war." The pessimism of a senior Israeli official who made that comment on Aug. 13 was striking because he had just finished telling a group of security analysts brought to Israel by the American Jewish Committee that the United Nations-brokered cease-fire had achieved many of Israel's goals. But he had no illusions that this would represent anything more than a temporary halt in the fight between Israel and the Quartet of Evil seeking to dominate the Middle East — Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah. The war wasn't a total loss for Israel. But it was far from a victory. Hezbollah lost more than 500 fighters as well as most of its medium- and long-range missiles and its bunker network in southern Lebanon, while inflicting scant damage on Israel. Israeli intelligence analysts are convinced that Tehran isn't happy about this turn of events because it was holding Hezbollah's rockets in reserve for a possible retaliatory strike if Israel or the U.S. hit Iran's nuclear weapons complex.
But rockets are easily replaced, and Iran and Syria will now undertake a massive effort to make good Hezbollah's losses, and then some. From the perspective of the Quartet of Evil, this conflict demonstrated the power of their rockets to blunt Israel's military superiority. Antitank missiles inflicted substantial losses on Israeli armor and infantry. A cruise missile badly damaged an Israeli warship that didn't have its defensive systems turned on. And Hezbollah was able to keep firing hundreds of Katyusha rockets a day into northern Israeli right up until the cease-fire.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
BTTT
Syria is openly fighting a proxy war against Israel. If Israel continues to bomb Lebanese targets because they're being attacked by Syria, they deserve all the international criticism they get. They are willfully playing into the Axis of Evil's charade, and stupidly, at that.
No one's going to come crying to the U.N. if Israel attacks Syria, like what happened in Lebanon. Syria's government is unpopular in the world, and their culpability in keeping the region a mess is clear. Plus, Syria has a standing army, and a government that can be knocked out. That's the kind of war that the Israelis can really shine at.
Dropping bombs on poor Lebanese neighborhoods against well hidden insurgents is ineffectual, both tactically and strategically, and it's very bad PR. If Assad falls, and the next government is on notice that if they're caught rearming Hizbullah, they'll be wiped out too, things will change quick. Just whacking desperately at Hizbullah so they can parade dead kids in front of the camera and blame you is beyond stupid.
I pretty much agree with your perspective.
And wouldn't Hezbollah and Assad have been surprised if Israel had left Lebanon completely alone but pummled Damascus instead?
They shouldn't be any more surprised than they were when Israel attacked Lebanon. Syria knows they're playing with fire.
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
..................
Olmert and the IDF need to make clear that any trucks carrying weapons from Syria will be targeted and destroyed.
Better yet, tell Assad, "you send a truck with rockets, you lose an airfield".
"you send a truck with rockets, you lose an airfield".
.
.
.
Always did like that 'an eye for an eye'.
You are so right: I could'nt have said it better myself.
On the next exchange, Israel must attack syria! Patriot
missles can stop any long range rockets Iran might aim at
Israel.
Would have been exactly the right thing to do. Although it had to be done immediately, i.e. in opening the war, before preemptive threats of reprisal could be issued by the bad guys setting the world all wobbly.
Very sad, tragic, missed opportunity. It will now be a very difficult, and doubtless bloody, business for Israel to reestablish the credibility of its deterrence. And of course that credibility is an ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL adjunct to the policy of disengagement Israel is necessarily [donning flamesuit] pursuing.
Step one (non-optional) in restoring deterrence is the resignation of the Olmert government. Their disengagement policy was correct, but they demonstrated a FATAL failure to grasp the necessary strategic adjuncts thereto. Olmert must go.
No, no, no!
"You send a truck with rockets, you lose an airfield"?!?!?
It should be:
"You send a truck with rockets, you lose a city (Damascus first)."
Exactly. 'Our first target will be Damascus. Try us.'
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.