Posted on 08/21/2006 4:26:16 AM PDT by IrishMike
In the immediate aftermath of the 1973 October War, there was much joy in the Arab world because the myth of Israeli invincibility had been shattered by the surprise Egyptian crossing of the Suez Canal, and the Syrian offensive that swept across the Golan Heights. ........ In Israel, there was harsh criticism of political and military chiefs alike, who were blamed for the loss of 3,000 soldiers in a war that ended without a clear victory. Prime Minister Golda Meir, defense minister Moshe Dayan, the chief of staff, David Elazar and the chief of military intelligence were all discredited and soon replaced.
It was only later that a sense of proportion was regained, ironically by the Egyptian and Syrian leaders before anyone else. That led to Sadat's peace and Assad's 1974 cease-fire on the Golan Heights, never violated since then........ There was a fully developed plan, of course, in the contingency folders - a sophisticated blend of amphibious, airborne and ground penetrations to swiftly reach deep behind the front, before rolling back, so as to destroy Hizbullah positions one by one from the rear, all the way to the Israeli border.
That plan was not implemented because of the lack of casualties among Israeli civilians. It had been a fair assumption that thousands of Hizbullah rockets fired in concentrated barrages would kill many civilians, perhaps hundreds of them each day. Barrages cancel out the inaccuracy of unguided rockets, and powerfully compound blast effects. That would make a large-scale offensive by more than 45,000 soldiers a compelling necessity, politically justifying the hundreds of casualties that it would certainly have cost.......
He cannot start another round of fighting that would quickly destroy everything again.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
http://www.americanthinker.com/comments.php?comments_id=5893
The American Thinker
Arab press says "Lebanon not a victory."
Amir Taheri has been reading what the Arab press says in Arabic about the war in Lebanon. He finds no unanimity on the subject of who won.
One Tunisian writer has compared Nasrallah with the Mexican bandit-cum-folk hero Pancho Villa who also defied the United States and managed to get away with it for some time. Pancho Villa, he tells us, achieved nothing worthwhile but managed to make Mexicans feel good about themselves for a while. [snip]
Finally, there is good news thanks to a fourth trend that can be spotted in the writings of a dozen or so Arab journalists and, more convincingly, in letters written to the editor in Arab, and in some cases, Iranian newspapers. Here, there is little sympathy for Hizbullah, which is regarded as a band of adventurers controlled by Iran. One Iraqi writer described Hizbullah as “a virus that is threatening the life of the Lebanese nation.” A Saudi columnist sees the war triggered by Hizbullah as “a catastrophe” for Lebanon and Arabs in general. A letter-to-the editor published in the Iranian daily Aftab-Yazd criticizes Teheran’s support for Hizbullah as “a misguided endorsement of a group that prevents Lebanon from building a modern society.”
There is no doubt that, with help from the Western media, Hizbullah has won the information battle in Europe and North America. In the Arab world, however, the Party of God is not enjoying the same free ride as it has in the West. Many Arabs appear to have decided to break with the herd mentality. And that may well be the only good news to come out of the latest war.
Thanks for the desperately-needed perspective.
bttt
Bombing and Murder: The 'Reward' for Peace
http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=32247&format=html
Monday August 21, 2006
There is a lot about prejudice I will never understand. In afterthought, that may be a good thing.
My world has not been one that excluded people from my life based on the color of their skin, sex, religion or ethnicity. It is a pleasure to embrace, enjoy and celebrate all of my friends, irrespective of skin color and heritage. It is joyful when we share our lives, homes and families.
The Israel-Hezbollah events of recent weeks have been a staggering and haunting experience. I have been absolutely nave to the world's prejudice against Jews, including right here in the United States. It is immensely astounding.
I always had the thought that "peace in the Middle East" was just some rhetorical phrase used by politicians, be it ours or those of other countries. That mindset was surely confirmed when former President Bill Clinton tried to seek a formal peace agreement between Israel and Palestine and it failed. He even had the backing of Hillary kissing the wife of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Regardless of whether you like Bill Clinton, the guy is bright and engaging, and if his charisma and resources couldn't do it, those who may follow have fairly poor chances. That is, of course, unless the followers agree to wipe all Jews from the face of the Earth, destroy every democracy and kill every single American. That is what Hezbollah and their kind really want to make them "peaceful."
Clinton was able to broker an agreement where the Israelis gave a tremendous amount and the Palestinians agreed, very much to their own benefit. At the last minute, the Palestinians said "no, now we want more," and that "more" was Jerusalem.
It is never enough for those recreant maggots because they are dishonest in what they bring to the negotiation table. If they brought their bottom line of exterminating every Jew off the face of the Earth to the purported peace talks, it would be clear to the world, and maybe the world would be a little more sympathetic to Jews.
Oops, more navete.
One year ago, thousands of Jewish settlers uprooted their homes familiar to them, some as far back as the 1930s, and pulled out of the Gaza Strip, all in the name of "peace." Their reward for their "peace" efforts in eradicating their familiar lives was being bombed and murdered on the very territory to which they had retreated.
There is nothing new about this event. Jews have been harassed, tortured and murdered for decades, just because they are Jews.
The event of the Hezbollah entering Israeli territory killing eight Israeli soldiers and capturing two others was nothing more than a stunt to start a worthless war with the aim of destroying more Jews. Without doubt, Hezbollah knew Israel would not tolerate such an act and would demand its soldiers back. Verbal demands were not met - no surprise - and the Israeli army geared up. As a result, the world has shown its bias against Jews, and Israel stands alone.
This picture is so nonsensical that it could never fit into any realm of rationality, only into the frame of eschewed hatred.
Historically, Jew haters have fired missiles into Jewish territory without provocation. The haters have blown up school buses loaded with children, fired destructive devices into innocuous shopping areas and other unarmed, unsullied domiciles - all unprovoked. These continual events are so familiar that each is barely a news blip at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. However, with the latest repercussions resulting from the molestation and violation of the Israelis, we are served a generous and continuous dish of Jews being the bad guys - all because Israel is fighting back when it should just be "talking to them."
How and what do you say to a group of terrorists who identify and measure their "peace" solely by one thing - your utter, complete and total destruction? No one has yet to explain exactly how you talk your way through and out of that and still exist.
The news barely reports that the cowardly Hezbollah occupy private homes with their armories and shoot it out from innocent residences. Yet the media are saturated with accounts of Israel's allegedly killing those same private citizens.
One thing is for sure: The news has yet to offer proof that the dead - they are famous for the pictures of women and children - were really killed by Israel munitions. Terrorists' mindsets do not hesitate to kill their own for their benefit and cause.
How many of the critics would concede to a bully, give up their familiar homes to relocate, and respond only in words when the same bully returned into the new space with explosives and used them - again?
I am sure I know the answer to that.
No wonder Israeli Jews live by the motto, "Never again." They remember the Holocaust too, too well.
Let's see. Up is dowm and black is white, and Hizbullah has won the information battle in Europe and North America. Except, we have tuned out and they are losing money.
I think we know, now, why Arafat said no. He did not have the power to negotiate, because Iranian sponsored Hamas did not agree. iow, no peace in the Middle East is possible without getting the Iranians out. Yet, any day you can see myopic demands to return to the road map.
I think we know, now, why Arafat said no. He did not have the power to negotiate, because Iranian sponsored Hamas did not agree. iow, no peace in the Middle East is possible without getting the Iranians out.
.
.
.
I believe you may have hit something there.
Hamas & Hexbollah being the side show with the main event in the big top tent ....... Iran.
How sickening to hear Rush and Sean trashing the Israeli's for the way the war was conducted.
Thanks for the link...
What's up with Iraq WMD ?
Been quiet.
Yep :), not too many interesting documents are being posted recently on the Pentagon website.
While we are agreeeing, I think that they are a big part of the continuing strife in Iraq, too.
" I have been absolutely nave to the world's prejudice against Jews, including right here in the United States. It is immensely astounding. "
I've been naive myself at times - I know how it feels.
Anti-Semitism is the oldest prejudice in history. It has no basis in fact, but is motivated by God's chief enemy. the devil, and everybody who wants to join the horned one. They express their hatred for God this way.
They feel that way about real Christians, too.
...I think that they are a big part of the continuing strife in Iraq, too.
.
.
.
It's been known that the majority of American soldiers deaths are as result of IAD road side bombs.
Elaborate devices traced back to Iran.
And the Sunni vs Shia strife ????
That cancer Sadr is a Shia, as are the Iranians.
Iran is the strife in Iraq !!!!
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
..................
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.