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To: sheikdetailfeather

Caroline Glick recommends an extended siege of Gaza. (Perhaps Hamas can be undermined through an orchestrated coup during a siege)

A problem with the siege strategy is the humanitarian crisis of more than a million civilians under such conditions. Public opinion and support will inevitably erode.

Another problem is the extended time frame needed to maintain operations - reservists have to go back to work eventually, and budgets will have to be increased. Significant costs, but not necessarily showstoppers.

So a siege which takes too long risks strategic failure.

She seems to propose this strategy to avoid unacceptable costs from the Obama Administration, if Israel deposes Hamas, but does not specify what they would be. Perhaps this is informed by credible unacceptable retaliation, but it may be psyops.

The Obama admin may be bluffing and exaggerating (most of their foreign policy has wilted under pressure - they are on thin ice domestically and with Congress). Also, the Israelis (like Republicans) may have grown too timid of criticism, after so many years of verbal abuse.

Ms. Glick uses the term attrition. If the attrition is aggressive from air and artillery, keeping the troops out of harms way in a cordon might be a wise and effective approach for some time, as long as it enough to maintain the initiative from Hamas. We have seen what happens when you let up on Hamas, even for a few hours. They have many attacks that they have been preparing, which they will launch whenever they regain their footing.

Bottom Line: Until Hamas is exhausted, it must be kept reeling. This risks their collapse at any time. That risk simply must be accepted.

Maintaining the initiative will require continued aggressive killing of Hamas leadership and capabilities, with surprising changes in tactics and tempo to keep them reacting. They are aggressive and will require continued hard blows to suppress their offense.

I propose taphophobia (fear of being buried alive) as a useful potential result from this operation. Dissuade future tunneling.


16 posted on 08/01/2014 10:49:38 PM PDT by BeauBo
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To: BeauBo

Actually, no matter what happens, if Hamas survives, it will continue to metastisize to destroy Israel.

Anything short of destroying Hamas is a false victory.

It has to be done, and things could, and probably will be, worse in the future.

Seize the day. Fortune Favors the bold.


17 posted on 08/02/2014 9:31:54 AM PDT by BeauBo
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