Posted on 07/17/2006 10:39:27 AM PDT by SJackson
ISRAEL RULES OUT MAJOR GROUND OFFENSIVE TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israel, whose air strikes failed to halt Hizbullah rocket fire, has ruled out a major ground offensive in Lebanon.
Officials said the government of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has rejected recommendations for an infantry assault on Lebanon. They said Olmert and his senior ministers have concluded that such a move would escalate U.S. and European pressure on Israel.
"At this point, we are talking about an air war, with limited use of special operations troops," an official said. "We want to keep our signature on the ground very low."
At a news conference on Saturday, Maj. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, head of the army's Operations Directorate, said the military would not commit ground troops to Lebanon. Eisenkot said any infantry incursion would be brief and designed for specific missions. ==== NOTE: The above is not the full item. This service contains only a small portion of the information produced daily by Middle East Newsline. For a subscription to the full service, please contact Middle East Newsline at: editor@menewsline.com for further details.
Major mistake. Wiping out terrorism *requires* ground assault teams and snipers.
I just knew it. F%^$ing Olmert has no spine. Mark my words - no ground ops = Hizbullah will live to fight another day. Why would you signal this to the other side, it only emboldens them. I think i'm going to be sick
Then Hezbollah will be able to declare victory /sigh.
Note the influence European pressure played on this decision. I don't believe the possibility of US pressure played a role. That's just media interpolation.
An opinion column by Ralph Peters in the New York Post today concluded very forcefully that the tactic of an air campaign only would be a great failure by Israel.
i hope this is disinformation
Exactly. I thought too Olmert is too weak for a time as serious and grave as this. If only Netanyhu was PM right now, or at least a Likud PM. Hezbollah will be back and stronger than ever. An air campaign will never wipe these people out who just hide themselves and their weapons among civilians that Israel won't bomb from the air. And Hezbollah will just keep hitting Israel harder and harder after they withdraw the air campaign which I predict they'll do in about a week.
The stupidity continues. More terrorism will follow.
Moved and seconded!
For now at least....
i'm about to blow a gaskget. This is studpidity beyond compare. It was probably Olmert's tree hugging bomb throwing daughter that convinced him
Or do they?
Maybe they're expecting the Lebanese Army to provide the boots on the ground. Oh yeah, and Hanukkah Harry promised to send a few battalions. < /s>
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Incredible, here is your golden chance and you toss it away! Just Damn!
Moishe Dyan
Olmert has just about guaranteed a massive escalation by the Hezbollah and Hamas now.
no, no, no not for just now, this is Olmert for you, he will not go in, he's afraid of international heat more than he is about his country. We've already seen striking Hafia isn't enough to get him to move. It would take one of those Zelzals striking TelAviv with a WMD for him to move his sorry little %$#. This had better be disinformation.
not good. if this happens, Hezbollah will declare victory. even though weakened by the air war, they will still be there, they can regroup, and the whole thing will start over again.
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