August 9, 2006
OURS NOT TO REASON WHY:
Israel Shuffles Command of Lebanon Offensive: Move Is Seen to Signal Dissatisfaction; Deadly Clashes Continue Along Border (Jonathan Finer and Edward Cody, 8/08/09, Washington Post)
Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters waged deadly clashes in several border towns Tuesday and exchanged air and rocket attacks as the Israeli army sent a new commander to oversee its offensive, a move widely believed to reflect dissatisfaction with the way the war is proceeding. [...][S]ome Israeli television reports described the arrival of Kaplinsky, who had previously commanded Israeli forces in the West Bank and Lebanon, as "an impeachment" and said it was the first time since 1973 that the top command had been reshuffled during a war.
Although the Israeli public has strongly backed the four-week air and ground campaign, criticism had recently begun to mount about the way it was being conducted. Commanders have said the assault is aimed at pushing Hezbollah away from the border to prevent it from launching rocket attacks on Israeli towns, but the group has carried out its deadliest barrages of the war in recent days, including attacks that killed 15 civilians and soldiers Sunday. More than 160 rockets were fired at northern Israel Tuesday, though no deaths were reported.
Commanders, including Adam and Brig. Gen Guy Tzur, had said a more substantial invasion of Lebanon could stem the rocket attacks. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was scheduled to confer with cabinet members Wednesday to consider their request to send more troops deeper into Lebanon.
Just gotta find a way to punch the tarbaby harder....
Posted by Orrin Judd at August 9, 2006 8:15 AM
Someone thinks Hezbollah is going to stop firing indiscriminate, ipso facto disproportionate*, missiles into Israel just because Hezbollah are Sheiites and Sheiites are the good Indians.
I'm afraid not. An atavistic, revanchist barbarian is an atavistic, revanchist barbarian. Until that Shinto-style reformation is accomplished, there is only one kind of of good Indian.
*A note on the LoW implications of the practice of firing free-rocket-over-ground type missiles into densely populated areas: this practice is almost certainly disproportionate to the military necessity of doing so, because the chance of hitting military target is so small.
Likewise it cannot be justified as a deterrent, just because it is so piddling, nor as a reprisal, as these may not be licitly taken against non-combatants. Never forget: the way they fight is illegal, the way we fight is legal.
No, they'll stop for the only reason any political entity ever stops making war--the voters demand it.
Posted by: oj at August 9, 2006 1:51 PMNo, they'll stop when they run out of rockets, or run out of men to push the buttons. Not until then. You see, they are killing Jews. Nothing more need be said.
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 9, 2006 2:06 PMSure, but that gets tired after a while and you want bread on the table. We even stopped.
Posted by: oj at August 9, 2006 3:36 PMWTF? The Germans and Japanese,or, for that matter our own Johnnies, stopped making war because "the voters demanded it?"
That must have been in some alternate universe, in some sort of Prayers for the Assassin plot. It the world most of the rest of us inhabit, all those bad guys fought all the way,and we didn't get their hearts and minds until we had them by the *****.
The least destructive path to peace is still deterrence, and you don't deter war by threating it like a children's schoolyard game.
Posted by: Lou Gots at August 9, 2006 3:49 PMThe Germans have stopped killing Jews, no? And the Japanese can't have killed many--due to lack of opportunity, not any scruple.
Posted by: oj at August 9, 2006 3:57 PMThe Germans killed lots of Jews (and others), using what, 10% or more of their war production in the process. Not very efficient. But they didn't stop until the camps were overrun. They couldn't stop - it was their raison d'etre.
Similarities with Hezbollah? You bet.
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 9, 2006 6:57 PMOther than the rationalist ideology, invading others, systematic killing for Darwinist reasons...
Posted by: oj at August 9, 2006 7:02 PMI would argue that the media manipulation we have seen from Hezbollah is actually quite "rational". And firing thousands of rockets into Israel is an invasion, no?
Once you become so blinded with hate that it provides your reason to live, it doesn't really matter whether the "source" of the hatred is Darwin and Nietzsche or Qutb and Khomeini.
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 9, 2006 11:29 PMNo, it's a feeble defense.
Of course who you hate matters.
Posted by: oj at August 10, 2006 12:01 AMA defense against what, exactly?
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 10, 2006 8:15 AMThe Israeli invasion.
Posted by: oj at August 10, 2006 8:23 AMSo, is Hezbollah the chicken or the egg?
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 10, 2006 9:56 AMEgg. Nations are born of violence--then the folks who won them have to govern.
Posted by: oj at August 10, 2006 10:46 AMThen why isn't Hezbollah pointing its weapons to the north?
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 10, 2006 12:46 PMThere isn't a worthy enemy to the north.
Posted by: oj at August 10, 2006 12:52 PMNow you sound like Alexander (the Macedonian, that is). Looking for a worthy enemy.
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 10, 2006 2:19 PMOf course. History always repeats itself.
Posted by: oj at August 10, 2006 2:24 PMWhen will we see the mountains of skulls Harry kept reminding us of? Now that would make for some wild TV.
Posted by: jim hamlen at August 10, 2006 3:01 PMYes, but it doesn't happen. One of the distinguishing features of this last phase of the Long War is how bloodless it is.
Posted by: oj at August 10, 2006 4:31 PM