Posted on 08/27/2006 7:16:54 AM PDT by Flavius
Humbling of the supertroops shatters Israeli army morale HUNDREDS of feet below ground in the command bunker of the Israeli air force in Tel Aviv, a crowd of officers gathered to monitor the first day of the war against Hezbollah. It was July 12 and air force jets were about to attack Hezbollah’s military nerve centre in southern Beirut.
Among the officers smoking tensely as they waited for news, was Lieutenant-General Dan Halutz, 58, a daring fighter pilot in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war who had become chief of staff a year earlier and now faced the biggest test of his career.
Over the Mediterranean, west of Beirut, the elite F-15I squadron made its final preparations to strike with precision guided weapons against Hezbollah’s Iranian-made long-range Zelzal rockets, aimed at Tel Aviv.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Israeli leadership was the sole cause of non-performance. Let's not blame the victims dying for their country.
Trading lives for "attaboys", I thought, was the sole property of the U.S.
Overwhelming force underwhelmingly applied against a murederous primitive enemy, is criminal.
don't think there's much wrong with their troops and whatever needs fixing, i'm sure it can be. the sting of not achieving a full victory is real, but that may be a reality of this kind of warfare (aren't we experiencing same in Iraq?)
Next time, they'll settle things, for sure.
I love it (NOT!) when the media blames the troops for the inadequacies and errors of the politicians.
Of course blaming the politicians and lawyers would only reflect back at themselves at a later date.
The Israelis encountered stiff defense and unexpectedly effective Russian and Chinese weapons which did real pain to its tank force -- but this is what happens in war. The antidote to unexpected opposition is overwhelming force, which will if sophisticated enough always win the day. The IDF is far better than just "sophisticated enough".
with Olmert sending in a tiny fraction of Israel's might during the first four weeks, the "humbling" was inflicted by Olmert/Peretz/Halutz/Livni incompetence of Carteresque proportions.
the analog to the Israeli incursion into Lebanon was jimmuh's puny attempt to rescue our 444 embassy hostages in Teheran with five helicopters. Compare this to the IDF use of DOZENS of helicopters when they made they (only partially) successful raid on the Bekaa valley "hospital".
I sure hope we killed more than 10% of their troops.
I am bemused by all of the caterwauling about Israel's "losing" the war.
Here is how things stand (my view):
1. This was a battle, not a war.
2. This was Lebanon vs. Israel (Hezbollah IS Lebanon). The meme that Hezbollah is somehow separate from Lebanon is like the great myth that Austria was "Hitler's first victim" (were it not for an unfortunate appointment to the UN Secretary General, this myth would have gone on, unchallenged. Old Joke: What is Waldheimer's Disease? Answer: It makes you forget you were a Nazi).
If you count the casualties and battle damages, Israel won by a TKO.
3. No matter how many weapons and how many troops Hezbollah retains, Lebanon will not soon again try to singe Israel's beard.
4. Iran's cards have been played and they have lost. Hezbo spent over half their missiles store and inflicted precious little damage for all their sound and fury. Now the threat is gone. Yes, Hezbo can start firing them again -- but they won't. They didn't work when tested and would work less well if used again (think of the Battle for Britain and the great Blitz).
5. I predict that GWB will link recovery aid to Lebanon with Hezbo disarmament. Lebanon will have to choose: Give up the proxies or squat in your own filth.
6. The IDF has gotten a good lesson (watching the success of the Yanks in Iraq wasn't enough). The IDF will come up with counters to Hezbo's use of wire guided missiles in lieu of tube artillery and will train the troops to avoid sheltering in buildings in sight of enemy positions. And tank commanders will be taught to keep their heads down and their hatches battened. And the IDF will greatly strengthen training of regular troops and reserves. And the IDF will get substantially greater operating funds.
I don't know if Olmert will survive -- and I don't know if he should survive. I need to know more about the advice he was given and the warnings he received (from Rice & co).
But, PLEASE! Chill out! So what if the Hezbillys dance in the street? Smell the rotting corpses in their bunkers and gauge their appetite to rejoin the battle.
I do not know the accuracy of this story, but lack of equipment, and lack of and/or poor training will gut any army.
I had the occasion to attend a "wetting down" for a Marine buddy of mine the other night. These guys are no more "losing" the Iraqi war than Israeli soldiers did the war in Lebanon. And they are NOT demoralized. They are pumped, proud, positive, and they LOVE GWB.
All the press to the contrary is BS.
If you read the article you will find no similarities to the USMC/US Army. Israel got a wake up call and Israel has some work to do. Denial will only lead to more of the same.
Uhmmm...right. Let's just forget that the MSM gleefully published any and all propaganda put out by the Hezbos with nary a skeptical eye or ear.
Oh sure. Next time.
Humbling? O.K., answer me this: how many Hizz fighters and enablers died or were put out of action, vs. how many Israelis?
Maybe we should pray for more such enemy "victories"!
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