I have written more than once that Hamas took the lessons of the Lebanon war to mean that if they did everything that Hezbullah did, they could achieve a “victory” over the IDF the way Hezbullah did. (Realize that our enemies have now redefined “victory” to mean “not utterly destroyed”.) Hamas is fighting the last war. But Israel commissioned an investigation, and the Winograd Report gave a brutally honest view of what went wrong. In response to Winograd, the IDF changed officers, changed tactics, and changed plans and responses. The IDF, in other words, planned to fight the next war.
Here is one result:
During the meeting ministers heard briefings from defense officials, and were told that some 50 percent of Hamas’s underground rocket firing potential was destroyed in the second wave of the attack. This was given as one of the reasons that the Hamas reaction has so far been limited.
While Hamas is definitely lobbing a fair number of kassams into Israel, the numbers haven’t reached the expected 100-200 rockets per day. Hamas has sent in a few katyushas that have reached as far as Ashdod, but so far, things aren’t much worse than they’ve been at the worst of the kassam launches.
And the IDF keeps on working to make sure that things stay this way.
IAF jets struck 40 smuggling tunnels connecting the Palestinian and Egyptian sides of Rafah, a Gaza Strip border town which has become a main entry point into Gaza of weapons, dynamite and other smuggled military equipment and consumer goods. According to reports, the bombing took a total of four minutes.
Four minutes, forty tunnels—and Hamas’ supply lines to Egypt are cut off. Of course, they can dig new ones after the fighting is over—if they’re still alive to dig them.
While Israel has stated publicly that they’re not trying to topple Hamas with this operation, it’s entirely possible that could be a result. People are noticing that a large portion of the blame for this attack is being laid at the feet of Hamas.
That’s as it should be.
I thought that killing terrorists created more of them?
Isn’t that what the left has been telling us?
I for one believe that killing terrorists makes terrorists dead.
40 tunnels in four minutes…wow. That’s impressive. There’s no military force I admire more in the world than the IDF, except of course for the US military. Rock on Israel!
gus Says:
December 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I thought that killing terrorists created more of them?
Exactly: The CORRECT response is to:
1. Respectfully refer to them on air as “gunmen” while giving the “I am a Dhimmi” hand signal.
2. Refrain from making ANY mention of their religious preference.
3. Interview potential victims in hiding on air so that they can be ferreted out and killed.
4. Grant them (and their extended families) unlimited immigration rights to the Western countries of their choice.
5. Read (on air) verbatim without comment or hint of skepticism their list of talking points comprised solely of complaints against Israel, making it clear by both your voice inflection and facial expressions that all blame should rightly be assigned to Israel.
6. When all else fails: convert to Islam and scream “Allahu Akhbar!” at the top of your lungs while plunging a dagger into the throats of all kufar.
“I for one believe that killing terrorists makes terrorists dead.”
That’s way too obvious, Gus. You just don’t understand the, uh, “nuances” of the situation.
They are going to get what they deserve.
Why aren’t they trying to topple Hamas? Because the Palis democratically elected this genocidal bunch of lunatic savages, therefore Hamas has some kind of legitimacy? Excrementum tauri.
In war there is no substitute for victory. Dugout Doug was right about that. In this case victory means toppling Hamas and turning over Gaza to rule by people, elected or not, who will not make war on Israel. If Hamas is left ruling Gaza after the IDF gets done there, it will be a Hamas victory. “See, they attacked us and we are still alive. We won!” And every nitwit loser around the world will believe that. In a short time Hamas will be back for another go round, just as Hezbollah has come back in Southern Lebanon.
Kiil Hamas before Hamas tries again to kill Israelis.
Take a look at J-Street’s points:
“only diplomacy and negotiations can end the rockets and terror and bring Israel long-term security and peace.”
How about permanent security and peace?
“Help us give voice to the large number of Americans who recognizes that justice will only be served when the rights and grievances of both sides are recognized …”
And just what are the rights of Hamas?
“and a peaceful two-state solution to this long-running conflict is put in place.”
Now both you boys play nice. Hamas, you agree to keeping Israel a Jewish state, now, don’t you?
“We know that many policy makers agree with us privately, but hesitate to express their views publicly because they hear only from the partisan extremes.”
Do I smell antisemitism here?
“This is our moment to show that there is real political support for shedding a narrow us-versus-them approach to the Middle East.”
You’re right. Come on, Hamas, let me give you a hug. What are we fighting about anyway? And about that sharia thing, why not. Will try it.
Great insight into the Middle East those fellows at J-Street have.
islmo fastist thugs at room temp.
BAROUK HASHEM