The War in Lebanon
When is the exact moment we are to call an operation a war? Is it a war? Here are some more comments about the situation in the Middle East.
When it all begun only 2-3 weeks ago (looks like a lot more, right?) I myself as many others thought it will be very soon about to end. I was wrong. Big time. Not only the mini war is still going on, but also it is about to grow bigger.
Prime minister Olmert and his cabinet approved another special call of about 10,000 reserve army men. The meaning is one: Israel’s face is to expand the military actions in the north.
Last week Israel suffered many casualties: most of them soldiers, fighting against hezbolla terrorists in two small settlements: Maroon a-ras and Bint-Gbel. It took many days to the most modern army in the Middle East to take two not even towns, with as mentioned before many casualties. Why? And what will be next?
In fact I myself have been to bint gbel, today known as “hezbolla capital of the south”. But it was 1995 or so, different times by any mean. The town is overlooking Israel, and within last 6 years, since IDF pulled out of Lebanon, went to be a stronghold for Hezbolla.
When IDF left Lebanon after 18 years of occupation of a narrow strip, 5 km width, north to the border, hezbolla men immediately took the leftovers: they went into old small posts or bases that were left behind, and dug, we know today, an impressive net of tunnels and bunkers. This is today’s biggest problem for IDF.
It is never easy to fight guerrilla or terror. It is even harder for IDF today, after 5-6 years of letting hezbolla getting more arms men and equipment from Iran and Syria. But the real question is what Israel tries to achieve?
Is it to free the kidnapped soldiers? Probably no can do by military operation. Is it to demolish hezbolla? If at all possible, may take months. Is it a war against Islamic fanatic jihad? If so it is a never ending war, and the address is Iran and Syria, not Lebanon.
In any case it is at the moment causing a lot of causalities at the both sides of the border. In war like in war like in war, there are always high prices to pay.
What do you think? What should Israel do?
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