Posted on 08/06/2006 5:29:55 PM PDT by Shermy
The Israel Defense Forces plan to ramp up their offensive in Lebanon in response to Sunday's rocket attacks on northern Israel, which killed three civilians in Haifa and 12 reservists near Kfar Giladi.
A senior General Staff officer told Haaretz that for the first time since the fighting began, Israel plans to attack strategic infrastructure targets and symbols of the Lebanese government.
Other than bombing the Beirut airport to prevent arms transfers to Hezbollah, Israel has hitherto not targeted Lebanon's infrastructure, insisting that it is only at war with Hezbollah, not with the Lebanese government or people.
However, the officer said, "we are now in a process of renewed escalation. We will continue hitting everything that moves in Hezbollah - but we will also hit strategic civilian infrastructure."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz will meet with senior defense officials this morning to discuss the continuation of the operation.
... ...
If Hezbollah has not ceased its fire by this weekend, they added, the IDF will recommend an additional significant expansion of the operation, including the conquest of most of Lebanon south of the Litani River, including the area around Tyre, and a significant increase in air strikes on infrastructure targets. "It could be that at the end of the story, Lebanon will be dark for a few years," said one.
... ...
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
The difference is simple, I do what I have to win and lay down my arms. The enemy destroys for the sake of destruction and will not stop until annihilation of combatants and non-combatants is complete. Israel will not do more than necessary. HezB deliberately does more than necessary. Israel fights to win peace. HezB fights to destroy the Jews.
I don't buy any of this moral equivalency. Just because Israel may have to get particularly to end this thing does not put them on the same plane as these savages.
Yeah, I would tend to agree with that. By the way....does anyone know why Israel doesnt have heavy bombers? Man just a half dozen, carpet bombing the crap out of those ridge lines in So Leb would do wonders.
Stopping the military operations is out of the question without disarming Hezbollah.
who said anything about surgical? We may not be disagreeing at all. I agree that this means controlling what goes into Lebanon. If that means continued destruction of every highway, road, lane, bridge and donkey path, so be it. The internal infrastructure such as the ability to secure food and water or move it around is also important. Meanwhile, I think it requires a big ground presence too, so they are interdicted and destroyed everywhere.
You forget that the majority of the Lebanese populace hates Hezbollah as much as the Israelis.
It's only about 40% of the population that backs Hezbollah. You want to punish 60% of the population for the actions of the other 40%?
Reply to post #31
I do not want to see any Yisraeli troops on the ground. I would like to see jets, subs and ships fire bombing the enemies of Israel into extinction. King Shaul was commanded to kill all the men, all the women, all the children and all the cattle. Sadly Shaul did not kill that snake and it is here to devour us now.
We may or may not, but at least we are in accord on the big picture. We might get pissy with each other on tactics or not, and given that I am a lawyer rather than a military General, I can see how one in such an argument could get irritated with me. But hey, I am used to my interlocutors being irritated with me. It is why I am paid so well. Best.
There were many UN resolutions, some of them were not followed by Israel. Still, "any cost" logically includes ceasefire too.
The polls seem to suggest the the H men have had an uptick of popularity in Lebanon, including inter alia, the Christians. This issue cannot be resolved by polls alas. Pity.
No. The ceasefire will cost Israel, but will cost Hezbollah nothing.
Disarming Hezbollah is its "any cost."
So how different you are from others who advocated genocide?
There's a moral difference between unintended collateral damage that results from directly confronting the enemy and the deliberate targeting civilian areas and/or infrastructure.
When the so called "army of god" is civilian, what choice does any nation other than to respond agressively against the nation that harbors the so called civilian terrorists?
Putting aside the perfervid rhetoric, how do you propose that Lebanon be taken off the table as a theater of military operations against Israeli civilians, not for a rest stop period, but for the long term? Real solutions require more than lazy keyboard pounding out of our reflexive prejudices. It requires some thought, some serious thought.
So what is the difference between you and your enemies?
Israel wants to wipe out the military capability of its enemies.
Hezbollah wants to wipe out all of Israel.
You claim not to be able to see a difference?
Exactly
Been there. Done that.
I agree. The problem is, the way Israel is currently waging this war, it seems as though ALL Lebanese are paying, even the majority who hate Hezbollah.
Alienating potential allies is not smart.
Plus, why isn't Israel going after the true source of all this: Syria?
Instead of bombing roads used by Christians in Beruit, they should be rolling into the Bakkah valley with full armor and carpet bombing Damascus.
"seems as though" because that is what the media wants to make you believe.
they should be rolling into the Bakkah valley with full armor
They are.
Plus, why isn't Israel going after the true source of all this: Syria?
Aunt Condi & Uncle George don't let.
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