[arielb]

if the US sent in ground troops into Kandahar in a similar operation, we would've captured Mullah Omar. Instead we let others do the job for us and he escaped. Failure to seal off Tora Bora meant that we let Osama and Zawahiri escape too. In contrast, Israel was able to capture or kill over 5000 wanted terrorists including Marwan Barghouti. Israel was also able to find lots of valuable intelligence including bomb factories. Remember when the press went into Kabul after it was taken over and found all sorts of info before the CIA was able to get their hands on it? If you don't seal off the battlefield, everyone will escape just like Al Qaeda did in Afghanistan by the thousands.

[USAF_ret]

if the US sent in ground troops into Kandahar in a similar operation, we would've captured Mullah Omar.

If if's and but's were candies and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas. It is impossible to say we'd have captured Omar, especially since to took months for us to get ground forces ready to go over there.

I do however think that you're ignoring Buckley's point that destroying the Palestinian infrastructure only helps to create more suicide bombers. In the long run, this further weakens both Israel's security and her support from her friends.