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Pox wrote:
No, Olmert is losing his nerve, IMO. He's looking for the easiest possible way to stop the offensive
without losing face and his job.

So if IDF was under your command, you would publicly state that you intended to overrun Lebanon, giving a precise estimate of when you would begin offensive operations, at a point in time well before your military was ready to execute?

If and when Israel stands down its reserves, you can call capitulation credibly.

If and when that happens, we can then discuss the advisability of initiating a potential nuclear conflict over three kidnap victims, and a vehement desire to prove that an individual is not a "pussy".

You do not have to possess high energy weapons to inflict nuclear damage onto your enemy, all you need to do is demonstrate an ability to hit your enemy's nuclear installations successfully.

I know the young bucks always want to run in and prove their courage, and this is all part of a Darwinian process. Not every adolescent is permitted to advance up the chain of command to become a general officer.

But with age comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes an inclination to dot every i, and cross every t before initiating combat. It is a part of respecting the lives of those who serve under your command, and a part of respecting the lives of those whom you have sworn to serve and defend.

When the board doesn't offer favorable odds, a true general is never afraid to wait for a better opportunity.

We survived, prospered, and won a 30 year nuclear stalemate with the Soviet Union, and we did not do so by rushing into combat half cocked. We took some losses square on the chin in light of avoiding losses in much greater numbers.

All this said, I am not advocating that anyone back down, at least not at this point. I do think it prudent however, to assess all of the possible outcomes, and design a strategy consistent with achieving your objectives with the fewest possible casualties, execute that strategy fearlessly, and re-assess the effectiveness of said strategy at numerous points along the way.

I think if we choose not to engage at this time, then in the long run we can take the Islamists, utilizing many of the same natural tendencies which defeated the Soviet Union.

I also think that if we take the time to maneuver a very small quantity of additional assets into place, we can engage all of our enemies now with full expectations of victory.

I do not have access to the body of information available to the Israeli Prime Minister, nor to the US Government, but I do have faith in my Commander in Chief to accurately assess the situation and take the proper course in this matter.

From there, I can rest peacefully, come what may.

Jeffers, Jeffers come on now, surely you've done your research on Olmert and know what a pantywaist this guy is. Pox and others here, including myself, have every reason to believe Olmert may back down. Do I think he will? No, b/c events are going to dictate the conflict at this point. And while I agree we need to wait until all the pieces are in place and not go in rushing blind into the conflict, I adamently disagree with your USSR analogy to this conflict. the USSR responded to geopolictical realities, these Islamonuts do not and will not, they will only respond to the overwhelming use of force, and for the record the odds are way in our favor (just so long as we keep Russia and Chian on the sidelines)

So if IDF was under your command, you would publicly state that you intended to overrun Lebanon, giving a precise estimate of when you would begin offensive operations, at a point in time well before your military was ready to execute?

Actually, Israel has been telegraphing their moves pretty much since this started, and that has been simply an effort to avoid as many civilian casualties as possible.

I have not advised that Israel start popping nukes in this conflict, but that "advice" would certainly change if WMD's were used against Israel. I think you've left the path of my train of thought. My concern has always been the timidity of the current Israeli government, and my current issue is the backtracking on their insistence that UN resolution 1559 be implemented before their offensive has concluded.

I know the young bucks always want to run in and prove their courage

Would that it were. I haven't' been a "young buck" in quite a long while now, unfortunately.