Operation true Promise...

In 2006 Isreal and Lebanon were at war for the second time in recent history.

It was a bloody but brief conflict but what made it so significant in recent times was the fact that as the Isreali Winograd commision of November 2006 concluded one of the most shocking sagas in the history of the Zionist state of Isreal.

However outside of Lebanon and a few other countries like Iran it is not celebrated as such, I want to share with the GS community why this particular conflict was so different to others in the region recently and why now the supposed myth of Isreali martial invincibility has been shattered forever…

In the words of the Winograd commision what happened in 2006 was a classic example of assymetric warfare and a key victory for those who resisted the Isreali state…

“Israel initiated a long war, which ended without a defined military victory”. The report continued to state that “a semi-military organization of a few thousand men resisted, for a few weeks, the strongest army in the Middle East, which enjoyed full air superiority and size and technology advantages”.

In fact it was the only time in recent history that the Jewish state was comprehensively beaten on the battlefield and which led to a massive shake up right to the core of the Isreali administration.

Lately I have noticed that in the Desi community this heroic resistance is not as well known, but I believe I should share the events of this war not only to help shatter the myth of Isreal being the dominant power in the region… and to prove that no bully will always win…

but also to share a recent piece of important history… in the following thread I will give you a step by step and comprehensive history of the war in Lebanon 2006.

I look forward to giving you all an in depth analysis of a battle which was indeed revolutionary however it seems to not be as well known as I thought and it is time to dispell the myths and bring out the truth of this conflict.

Re: Operation true Promise...

I will be reading this please do Farris :)

Re: Operation true Promise...

Well before discussing the brief war of 2006 we need to put into perspective the opposing forces on the ground and take particular note of millitary and political tactics, aims and objectives.

The state of Isreal since it's inception in 1948 has fought several conflicts with it's Arab neighbours and has always beaten them long before they even reached Isreali territory. In the first of these wars Isreal almost doubled it's size according to the original UN mandate by beating the five Arab armies that opposed them. The territory Isreal gained was never recognised and to this day is heavily disputed...
Following that first victory Isreal took part in several further wars but the balance of power shifted with each one. At first Isreal was merely defending itself but as time went by the Zionist state seemed to be aggressively expanding much to the chagrin of it's Arab nieghbours. Isreal went on the offensive and gradually continued to expand, using self preservation as the excuse Isreals actions led to the Six day war of 1967. A war which was partly made inevitable by Egyptian blockade of the Suez so with British and French support Isreal invaded Egypt and captured the Sinai peninsula. After the Isrealis had smashed the Egyptian air force in a surprise attack most of the World assumed it was game over for Egypt, they did not reckon on Egypt launching a remarkable surprise attack of its own in 1973. The Egyptians took advantage of Yom Kippur and regained all thier lost territory but never advanced any further due to lack of air support as thier own artillery was limited in range against the superior Isreali airforce.

Since then Isreal has rode the waves of war but had up till 2006 always played the victim role. Even thier surprise attack on Egypt in 1967 (Egypts Pearl harbour) was presented as an act of self defence. However in 2006 Isreal moved against a weaker enemy force but was comprehensively beaten in battle for what many believe is the first time in it's History and which is of great importance to todays politicial spectrum as it has led to a complete re-think of the Middle East... it appears the balance of power has shifted yet again.

In 2006 what made the war remarkable was that up till then Isreali millitary assumed that Lebanon was a low key threat. It turned out to be a shock for them, as up till that point Lebanon was still a divided nation and by invading Isreal united the Lebanese people in a common hatred for the Zionist state and it's aggression. In the 1980s Lebanon was one of the refuges of the PLO and it was invaded by Isreali forces who claimed to be helping the Lebanese get rid of the PLO. Lebanon is a country where there are almost as many Christians as Arabs and it led to a brutal civil war between the two parties as well as between native Lebanese and Palestinains. However after a long and bloody war Isreal pulled out of Lebanon in 2000, at the time Isreal claimed that it had pacified Lebanon, while the Arab World saw it as a victory in which the Lebanese had driven the Isreali's out.

During the 80's one of the most secretive resistance groups Hezbollah a fierce Shia Muslim organisation was the emerging force in Lebanon. In the next post I will explain the rise of Hezbollah and how Isreal and Hezbollah locked horns which culminated in thier latest war.

Re: Operation true Promise...

Not to take away from an organized resistance by hezbollah, a first for arabs in the modern era against Israel, but please don't amplify it much more than what it is. In the larger scheme of things, arab countries still fear Israel s Israel's fear in the arabs hasn' completely eroded yet.

PS What makes you think desis don't know when they have such a love affair with palestine when arabs don't want them (pakistanis) mediating in this conflict?

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Thanks Dude for these info but for the sake of my knowledge. I heard that once Egypt, Syria and may be another country did combine attack/defend against Israil and Israil almost lost the war but UNO interfere and stop the War!!! Am i right ?

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NO but US resupplied them with weapons and jewish people were heard to be signing up to go defend israel in the west, though some muslims say americans actually landed their armies to defend israel. There was also US reconnaissance flights by SR-71s that helped israel detect where egyptians might attack them and then counterattack them in the suez where the egyptians didn't expect it. Towards the end of the war, Israel was in sight of capturing suez again and perhaps taking it the egyptian hinterland proper.

I think it was officially syria and egypt as I don't remember the jordanians losing their AF like in 1967, but other arab countries probably sent in weapons and cash.

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Hehe good points I agree with you. Offcourse Arab nations fear Isreal as Isreal fears them... but strictly speaking from a soldiers eyes and in a millitary context, there is absolutely no reason Isreal caqnnot be beaten the myth of Isreali invincibilty is precisely that, its a myth. However if the Arab's or Palestinians in particular are seen as hopeless in thier plight this is not true, there is hope but I pray it is a peacefull end becuase even if the Arabs throw Isreal into the sea as Ahmedinajad and others want it will be at a terrible cost.

As for Desis not knowing about the matter, offcourse your right in the fact that most Muslims are obsessed with the Palestine issue. What makes the Lebanon war different is that Hezbollah is a highly secretive organisation, and they and the IDF are very hush hush about the truth behind this war... what makes it unique from a millitary perspective is that it is one of the best examples of assymetric warfare in modern times. The rise of Hezbollah is a truly phenomenal story... one which few people truly know.

That was the Yom Kippur war you refer too my friend of 1973... in terms of importance it was the closest war in which the Zionist state really did almost cease to exist... while the UN stepped in at the end... the Arabs lost it due to several factors. Millitarily speaking it was not really an Isreali victory as they had been comprehensively beaten on the battlefield however politics took it's toll and among the casualties of that war one of my Heros literally saw Defeat snatched from the Jaws of Victory... :(

My friends I shall digress breifly and explain, often people mix up the events of the 67 and 73 wars. In 1967 Isreal anahilated all opponents in a series of surprise pre-emtive strikes, most famously they destroyed the Egyptian air force and occupied the entire Sinai peninsula. As well as this the struck out and siezed almost half of Jordan, what is now called the West bank is known so as it is all the territory on the West of the Jordan valley. Syria also lost a lot but importantly it's army like Egypts was still strong but without air support everyone thought it was game over.

In 1973 Isreal and the Arab states could not agree to negotiations. Nasser before he died and was replaced by Saddat wanted the Sinai penisula back, the Syrians wanted the Golan hieghts and the Jordanians wanted thier lost territory. However Isreal refused to agree to all the terms (though Isreali sources blame the Arabs) which led to Egypt and Syria vowing to re-take thier land by force. Jordan despite having it's air force intact chose not to fight, King Abdullah was either wise to try and keep what was left of his country or a coward for not fighting back. Syria led by Haffez al Assad and Egypt under Anwar Sadat both made preparations for a combined effort. However without air support both nations would need a miracle, and they got it in the person of one man. My long term hero and one of the greatest Muslim generals of recent history, Saad al Shaazly.

It was this Egyptian martial genius who despite overwhelming odds single handedly not only swiped aside the fortified Isreali Bar lev Line across the Suez but was close to invading Isreal itself... he chose to hold his postion. The Syrians had no general even close to Shaazly and thier incompetence led to Sadat ordering Shaazly to attack beyond the cover of SAM missiles that were protecting his 3rd army from Isreali jets. Shaazly bravely led his troops into a solo battle which ended up with his army encircled and almost wiped out, despite all odds however the 3rd Army helds its position and survived the war intact. Isreal may have won the war but in every battle it was Shaazly who had brought Egyptians hope and they were able to negiotiate the return of Sinai to Egypt. If only more men like Shaazly were allowed to rule Egypt, sadly his story is another one that is not so well known outside of the region.

Anyway as for Hezbollah.

The Shia millitant group was formed in the early 1980's as a insurgent group with the primary objective of fighting off the Isreali occupying forces in Lebanon. As well as fighting the Isreali's Hezbollah fought the Christian Phalangist millitia and eventually helped the PLO destroy their bitter enemy. In 2000 Isreal formerly pulled it's troops from the last outposts of Lebanon. Hezbollah not only was among the groups happily claiming credit for the Isreali withdrawal it was given full backing of the Lebanese people, more so than the government itself. I am a little tired right now I wanted to write more about Hezbhollah and how it grew from the guerilla force of the 80's to the highly diciplined and organised force that fought the 5th strongest army in the world to a standstill... but that will have to wait.