Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
^^ I think Israel learned a big lesson from Lebanon. Never Occupy. Attack and retreat, attack again and retreat. This maximizes Israeli strength, while not exposing it to daily attack. That has been the current method of operation in Gaza. If Israel goes into South Lebanon, it will be fast and furious, and then they will withdraw. If needed they will go again. That gives them the chance to hit Hizbullah hard and fast and with an element of suprise, and to kill a maximum amount of fighters. If they can find where the Iranian Revolutionary Guard units are they will hit there first to expose Iran.
Currently they are reconstituting Reserve Units. Once that is done, they will invade South Lebanon. The Kaytusha firing provides the perfect excuse.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
Even if we consider Israel’s position as legitimate, which I do not, it does not play well for them. In both cases Gaza and Lebanon if they were provoked, the reaction was not appropriate. It might help say Israel is powerful, do not mess with us attitude but they are running the risk of emboldening the Arab extremistis and rejectionists. They are playing in the hands of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist links when they undermine and weaken the current governments.
If Arab governments do not curb these organizations according to West wishes, it does not mean to go react in this useless way. You need leadership of peace from Arab world to curb these militants and they will not be able to when Israel reacts in this way and United States supports it wholeheartedly, they have just said the Middle Eastern to take arms and go to war. They have just encouraged the militants and extremists to further their platform and go to war. When you need Muslims help to end this violence, you cannot achieve it by bombing them. It will be difficult for Israel and United States to achieve peace and support for themselves in Middle East and in this process; they have made themselves as justifiable target. This escalation is not, in anyway, going to work for Israel and United States.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel’s response (threads)
anyone know the latest whereabouts of those dead travelling soldiers.. last mention was Syria I believe.. when do they pop up in Tehran so Israel can finally find the excuse to bomb the heck out of Iran
Israel’s massive onslaught on Lebanon has already killed scores of people, most if
not all unconnected to the Hizbullah guerrillas who attacked across the international border early on Wednesday morning, killing eight soldiers and capturing two others. By the time this article is published, there will likely have been more fatalities, each lost life feeding the hatred that fuels the conflicts of the Middle East.
Hardly surprisingly, rockets were quickly fired back from Lebanon, hitting towns and villages inside Israel, maintaining the cycle of retaliation, and hurting civilians there. The outrageous bombing of Beirut airport and the imposition of a blockade on the entire country constitute a grave crisis that is now a war in all but name.
The attack on the airport, the blockade and the warning to evacuate the densely populated southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital take the region and the world back to the dark days of Israel’s invasion and occupation in 1982. All go far beyond the legitimate right of any country to defend itself. Israel’s escalation is disproportionate, highly dangerous and illegal. None of this excuses Hizbullah. Its raid, intended to detonate an explosion, was an act of aggression, none the less so for being carried out by a non-state actor. Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000. Hizbullah’s motive was to take prisoners to use as a bargaining chip to secure the freedom of its own people held in Israel. It calculated too that with the Israelis besieging the Gaza Strip and punishing and killing Palestinians there to try to free another captured soldier, their operation would be hailed as an act of Arab and Muslim solidarity with Hamas. That would suit Hizbullah’s backers in Syria
and Iran and cheer suffering Gazans, if not the many ordinary Lebanese who will pay the price in ruined lives and lost revenues. The dangers in any such calculation have quickly become depressingly clear. Israel’s overwhelming military superiority means it can bomb the Beqa’a Valley or Damascus or send tanks into Tyre and Sidon. The untried Ehud Olmert, striving to show he is as resolute as Ariel Sharon, seems to feel he can act with impunity. He should think again. Wreaking devastation on Lebanon is unlikely to secure Israel’s goals. The Beirut government, which insists it did not condone Wednesday’s attack, has a duty to implement UN resolutions, disarm Hizbullah and extend its authority to the international border. This is hardly the way to achieve that. Like Hamas or Sinn Féin, Hizbullah is a political organisation with a tough and experienced military wing. It is almost certainly more powerful than the Lebanese army. Israel should have learned some
lessons from the Lebanese quagmire it created and endured for years after the disastrous 1982 invasion - notoriously a “war of choice” designed by Mr Sharon, then defence minister, to crush the PLO. That conflict, which was hugely divisive in Israel too, marked a nadir in the country’s international reputation. Its first stage culminated in the Sabra and Shatila massacre of Palestinians by Israel’s Christian allies. It took another 18 years before the Israelis withdrew, having created a determined new enemy among the southern Shia. Inspired and helped by Iran, they fought under the banner of the Islamic Resistance Movement, later to become today’s Hizbullah - the “party of god”.
Back in 1982, some claimed Israel had been given the “green light” by the US to invade Lebanon. Now President Bush is preoccupied with Iraq, worried about the nuclear crisis with Iran and doubtless wishes this problem would go away. But it
is not enough to ritually defend Israel’s right to defend itself and damn the consequences. He should tell Mr Olmert to halt attacks and seek mediation. Iran
and Syria should restrain Hizbullah. If there was one glimmer of hope yesterday it
was that the world was waking up to the risks involved in this widening and potentially calamitous confrontation.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
If Hezbollah transfers the soldiers to Syria or Iran, a wider war in the Middle East is very much a possibility. Israel will not hesitate to attack Syria or Iran with the US army sitting next door. Syria could be overrun in a couple of days. Same with Iran though with Iran they would pulverize it for a week before ground operations.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
This whole comment is laughable. If what you say would have been possible then Israel and U.S. wouldn't have waited for long. Iraq operation itself is eating away 2% of U.S. GDP and on top of it, oil prices have sky rocketed which is hurting U.S. economy and creating valuable petro dollor for the middle east. Iran is now far more powerful than it ever was in the last five decades. Israel could never defeat Hezbollah despite its long occupation of Lebnon and finally had to retreat. Overrunning of Syria is just a dream and it will punch a big hole in Israel and U.S. army in Iraq will also get sandwitched between Syrians and Iranian operations.
Attacking Syria would be a big strategic military mistake for Israel and would be like the one committed by Germany when it attacked Russia and eventually lost a winning war against allied powers.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
aka:
[quote]
Israel will not hesitate to attack Syria or Iran with the US army sitting next door.
[/quote]
Israel does not seem to have audacity to attack Syria. Is it because Iran's threat to get involved in the conflict? I don't know.
If it still happens, and Syria and Iran are involved, then America would have to get involved anyway. Now America already is bleeding heavily in Iraq. Americans are already feeling the brunt of this war. Getting involved in an even bigger and even scarrier war with Iran and Syria will be much too costly for Americans. And we know that Americans don't like to get involved in any conflict much longer. They want to live their lazy, promiscuous lives, and they don't like to die. It is not easy for these soldiers with low IQ's to do.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
In Iraq, US army is responsible for daily law and order situation. The army is not suited for doing the job of policemen for a long time. Eventually it shall have to be taken care of by local police.
If US attacks Syria it will only attack the military bases and the militant camps around Damascus. Same with Iran, they will just attack the nuclear power plants and their military bases. They do not want a regime change nor want to govern these countries. US is itching to attack Syria and Iran and these countries may soon provide enough reason to do so.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
PA, the US is showing caution in attacking Iran for only one reason. They have the capacity to scuttle oil tankers passing through the Gulf of Hormuz and shut down the export of oil from the Middle East to the rest of the World. But if Syria and Iran are involved in the conflict against Israel, US will immediately jump in.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
Iran has a huge Achilles heel.
Although they are a major oil producing nation, they depend on foreign oil refineries for nearly 50% of their domestic refined products.
They have nine oil refineries.
Think Israeli missles can find nine refineries?
If they get hit, the Iranian economy grinds to a halt. Presdent Nutjob's little adventure does not look so bold with an angry local population. And bear in mind, the Arab world does not like this little Persian. The gas Iran would have to buy would be very expensive, and he would have to sell a lot of oil to pay.
Re: Israel humiliated /Israel's response (threads)
As opposed to the intellectual giants of Hezbollah who are eager to die for promised promiscuity since their current lives are so miserable? But don't worry, it won't get to the superior American soldier, the superior weaponry will make sure of that. Eventually the kid gloves will come off in this conflict and then we can really have some humiliation threads to contribute to.
