Submitted by Reuben Horne (Australia), Jul 21, 2006 at 19:41
Dr Pipes,
This recent escalation of Israeli military activity is more rage than strategy. In order to placate the international community Israel provided a good week's warning to the population of the southern Lebanon to get out before the bombing commenced. Hezbollah with its ongoing strategy of hiding amongst the civilian population (and then filming injured and killed children after air raids - gleefully shipping the footage off to Al Jazeera and the world) is unlikely to be there to greet the Israeli troops massing on the border.
And so begins another protracted excursion into Southern Lebanon and a return to the ignominious status quo just over the horizon. When Israel pulls out the rockets will start flying over the border again.
Victory's price is higher. Rather than moralize endlessly about terrorism the path to victory lies in acknowledging that it is a successful and therefore a legitimate tactic militarily. For around thirty years before the "war on terror" (which the liberally biased media always attaches the prefix "so called" to) every western country bent over backwards to accomodate terrorists of all ideations. This accomodation ranged from incompetence in apprehending people to active obstruction of other democratic states attempts to apprehend terrorists. It incorporated even the ridiculous antics that preceded the slaughter at Munich of Israeli athletes where some of the passing non-Israeli athletes gave the terrorists a boost to get over the security fence into the Israeli compound. Contrary to the popular theories of western aggression causing the phenomenon ("Oh things would be /so/ much better if only we didn't defend ourselves") it is western weakness that has produced it. Osama Bin Laden's philosophy has its genesis in his observing American Marines fleeing Lebanon in response to minor casualties.
The cure is to meet ruthlessness with even more ruthlessness utitilising superior technology but dispensing with the flowery idea of moral warfare. If this fundamental philosophical shift can occur the wests victory is certain otherwise defeat is equally certain. Likewise for the state of Israel. The supposed ruthlessness of this campaign is a liberal smokescreen. In short the Jews just ain't mean enough to win it this time round and it's hard to imagine after all they've been through an outrage that will be sufficient to get them there.Cordially,
Reuben Horne.
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