Hezbollah’s Iwo Jima Delusion (excellent read!)

The American Thinker ^ | 8/1/2006 | Michael Lopez-Calderon

[defenderSD]

It's better for the US and Israel for Hezbollah and its supporters in Lebanon and Iran to think Hez is putting up a good fight, only to learn in the end that Hez has been totally crushed in Lebanon in a humiliating, completely one-sided defeat. This way the hopes of Hez and its supporters will be built up and then dashed in the end, leaving them bitter and angry. So the Western MSM is unwittingly participating in a form of pyschological warfare against Hez and its supporters.

The ultimate crushing defeat for Hez may diminish support for Hez substantially in Lebanon and somewhat less in Iran. Nobody in the ME likes to back a loser and IMO Hezbollah is going to look like a big loser in about 30 days.

[Dark Skies]

Oh...sorry.

[C210N]

Maybe Israel has been quite silent in the PR department, as its to Israels advantage to appear to be losing. Imagine the enemedia with wall-to-wall coverage of the Hezzies being clobbered - that would be a tremendous boost to those that want an immediate cease-fire. In the current situation, with only small leakages of Israeli kick-butt, the clamors for immediate cease fire are more subdued.

[unionblue83]

Thank you for your service.

[Dark Skies]

Yes, thank you for your service. Can only imagine how dificult but important your job was!

[chesley]

's OK.

[quadrant]

The IDF is finding the going difficult because hitherto Israel's wars have been conflicts where training, maneuverability, and firepower were the keys to victory.
The conflict in Lebanon is both a throwback to the Marine campaigns of WWII and a harbinger of wars to come.
It is unlikely that anyone will fight the way Patton and Montgomery fought WWII, Moshe Dayan fought the Six Day War, or "Stormin Normin" fought the first Iraq war.
There is no more dashing across France or anywhere else. From now on its walking slowly through villages or assaulting heavily defended positions.
Until the IDF (and the US Army) understand this and develop tactics to suit the new realities, combat will be bloody and frustrating.

[scory]

Exactly right.

I confess to pessimism about this conflict up until yesterday when it suddenly dawned on me (for at least the 20th time) that I was basing my estimate of things on the defeatist media and on the reactions of others to that reporting. In this day of "instant news" in order to form anything like an accurate estimate of a situation one has to be very patient and take in the reports as they develope over days and even weeks. The initial reports of the defeatist media are - without exception - shallow and slanted and they should never be taken as serious reporting of facts.

That we get pictures and commentary within minutes of an event gives us the illusion we know what is happening. In fact what we get is worse than simple ignorance. What we get are distorted fragments based upon a highly selective use of pictures coupled with "analysis" based on opinion, conjecture and rumor and always weighted by political bias. To take any of this at face value is to wind up with a very distorted view of things.

[hosepipe]

Looks a time for Gen. McArthers tactics(Korea).. land behind them and attack them from behind..

[yawningotter]

If Israel wants it to look like things are going badly, then that encourages the Hezbos to stay and fight, and if they stand and fight instead of drifting into the shadows until the next opportunity, then they are easier targets.

[Enterprise]

I would hope that they not be treated as POWs but POS's.

[AFreeBird]

Over whatever time remains before the conflict is forced to end, the IDF will take apart the Hezbollah terrorist-guerrillas that made the ultimate error of remaining in fixed positions. It is Hezbollah that is stoked in the passions and delusions of over-confidence. If Hezbollah takes comfort from fighting in fixed positions, they need only brush up on Napoleon, who said “the army that remains in its forts is beaten.”

Or to paraphrase Patton (from the movie anyway): 'Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man'.

In any event, I agree with the assesment that this battle is more along the lines of IwoJima than Allies vs Nazi's in Europe. The only difference is the presense of a civilian population.

[2ndClassCitizen]

Absolutely right.

In all things, do not listen to CNN, or any other media outlet. They are so screwed up it is unbelievable. They do not even bring up relevant issues.

[Centurion2000]

I think I'd prefer the Curtis LeMay solution .... just bomb them until they are all dead.

[SunkenCiv]

Hezbollah’s predicament comes closer to the Japanese forces at Iwo Jima than the German Army in Normandy and Western Europe. And as such, Israel’s strategy in part calls for trapping the Hezbollah terrorist forces in their entrenched, fortified positions where Israel will cut them off from re-supply and then tear apart piece-by-piece. The formerly Hezbollah-controlled, fortified hilltop Lebanese border town of Maroun al-Ras was the scene of intense fighting between Hezbollah terrorist-guerrillas and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF claims Maroun al-Ras is under its control, though accounts of subduing nearby Bint Jbeil proved premature. Apparently, hundreds of Hezbollah fighters in Bint Jbeil were holed up in fortified bunkers, and have reentered the town via an elaborate series of interconnected tunnels, or hid amongst the few remaining civilians in the initial days of fighting.

Of the 20,000+ Japanese on Iwo, fewer than 200 went home alive.

[uncbob]

Too bad Israel doesn't have ARC LIGHT B52 strike capability ala Vietnam style

Any thing dug in under ground would either be dead or driven mad

[uncbob]

Also hope the hezzies aren't signing onto Free Republic to update their war strategies.

If they are in their bunkers they can either stay there and get creamed or come out and get creamed sooner Seems to me the only two choices

[bayouranger]

IDF BUMP!

[L,TOWM]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675942/posts

I stand corrected. The IDF general staff, every last one of them, must have cajones the size of cantaloupes...

[johnny7]

The situation screamed for it...