Predicting an imminent resumption of fighting with Hezbollah, the Israeli military is quickly studying the results of round one, Aviation Week reports:
While the [Israeli Air Force] contends it did its mission, others are putting some of the blame for the offensive’s mixed results on Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, the first air force officer to serve in that post. Critics contend that his expectations for the IAF were too high. As a result, along with continued fighting against Hamas in Gaza and the looming roles-and-missions battle between the services, there are strong signals the Israeli defense establishment is headed for a shake-up. Additionally, a heated debate over future defense spending priorities is expected in the coming months.
Meanwhile, The Nation is calling for a renewed look at Israel’s justification for the invasion:
We were saturated with the message that Hezbollah is a shadowy terrorist organization that has spent years showering northern Israel with rockets — and that Israel had both the right and the duty to protect itself from such attacks once and for all. Thus was history instantaneously rewritten to Israel’s own specifications.
In fact, from the moment that Israel ended its last military occupation of Lebanon in 2000 until the explosion of the current war on July 12, UN observers report that there was not a single casualty as a result of a confirmed rocket attack by Hezbollah on civilian targets in northern Israel.
Results on the political front are less ambiguous: Israelis are hopping mad, according to The New York Times:
Israel is politically roiled by public dissatisfaction with the monthlong Lebanon war. The public has been surprised by the inconclusive outcome of the campaign, frightened by unintended consequences like the surging popularity of Hezbollah, and angry that Israel’s vaunted military has been shown to be less than all-powerful.
Perhaps the most comprehensive “lessons-learned” report can be found here, courtesy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (warning: PDF!).
–David Axe
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
From the CSIS report:
“One key lesson that the US badly needs to learn from Israel is the Israeli rush towards
accountability.”
Duh.
“Meanwhile, The Nation is calling for a renewed look at Israel’s justification for the invasion:”
No it isn’t. It simply published a commentary–an op-ed piece, if you like–by a highly anti-Israel-biased commentator who presented a one-sided view of the conflict, ignoring many salient facts. An op-ed piece is not a call for action on the part of the publication.
LTG Halutz is in political hot water for more than just bungling the IDF’s offensive against Hezbollah like an over confident flyboy. Apparently he also sold off a bunch of his stocks right before the IDF began striking southern Lebanon.
He claims that the stock sale was arranged weeks in advance. That is of little political consequence now because the blame game has already begun in Israel. The IDF and Prime Minister’s office will probably push blame around for a few weeks without actually realizing lessons learned.
The Nation is really playing with fire in the last three paragraphs in the article David referenced. I wonder how long it will take for accusations of anti-semitism to be lobbed in the direction of the Nation’s editorial staff…
Good Morning Folks,
The lesson here is that Hezabollah and other terroriste groups are learning the lessons taught by the Bush created terrorists in Iraq and applying them outside of Afghanistan, you remember the war we won but are now losing and Iraq.
From the sketchy reports comming back from Lebanon it appears that Hezbollah has a well developed battle/war plan and C4/I3 that is superior to anything the IDF can field.
A couple of weeks ago when this outcome was suggested here a Heabollah victory was considerd at best a long shot. I guess that’s where all those C Notes they are handing out came from.
Israel had their lunch handed to them so badly here that this past weekend the world was reminded that Israel has the nuclear option if all goes to —-.
Hezbolla is winning, their battle plann even included rebuilding Lrbanon. While our Sec. of State Rice was Shoe shopping in Paris and getting a French Kiss from the French Government, Hezbollah was handing out U.S. $100.00.
Best advice to Israel, you lost, you gave South Lebanon to Hezbollah. Don’t embarrass yourselves again.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
Imagine being a German NATO peacekeeper in Lebanon and having to repel an Israeli incursion …
On the anti-semitism note, it looks like Mr. Jansenson beat me to the punch.
Noah – German peacekeepers near Israel sounds like a National Lampoon’s site-gag gone horribly wrong. Regardless of nationality, I am concerned about how an expanded UNIFIL mission in Southern Lebanon will execute its mandate to:
“…to take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind, to resist attempts by forceful means
to prevent it from discharging its duties under the mandate of the Security Council…” (UNSC RES 1701)
Not counting today’s incursion by the IDF, I wonder what will happen first, a returned Israeli offensive or Hezbollah militants turning against the blue helmets?
-Hizb-e-allah and her iranian instructors have found new and intriguing roles for wire guided atgms. That the iranians would have had , what’s the word?, the chutz-pah, to make seemingly obselete atgms in such large numbers, thus reducing their unit costs, and then deploying them against exposed infantry and fortifications as guided man-portable artillery. An 82mm mortar and several rounds, enough to bracket a target versus a single anti-personnel Ra’ad 2 atgm with launcher a high probablity of a kill, which would you want to lug around the battlefield?
WE may have just seen the light machine gun displaced as the principle crew-served weapon of the infantry. My goodness a flying guided claymore , what other surprises do you think the iranians have come up with in their isolation? I know every u.s. commander who might have been tasked with changing iran’s thought’s about mastering the nuclear fuel cycle on the field of battle, is thanking every god man has ever imagined for the glimpse of the future that israeli cannon fodder have provided. Thank you olmert for being such a predictable tool. Future generations, if they even give any thought to the prime minister who pissed away israel’s aura of invinciblity in south lebanon, will sing limmericks about you.
Evidence that everyones vote today counts and thier is consequences.
Why LLL’s make great social workers but they cant make the hard decisions that have to be made on the spot with heavy consequences in blood. Sometimes a sacrifice today is required to lessen a sacrifice tommorow.
“Best advice to Israel, you lost, you gave South Lebanon to Hezbollah. Don’t embarrass yourselves again.”
…by fighting Byron’s friends as they plot the destruction of Israel and her Jewish inhabitants. It will be much more convenient for Byron and his allies that way, and the world will be a much better place once you disappear as you should.
The left’s slide toward fascism picks up speed by the day.
Noah,
I could not agree with you more.
America has modified the old artillery code in a rather dangerous way:
Fire long.
Fire short.
Fire for CEO compensation & Halliburton contracts.
Moronic. Don’t you think?
Noah,
I could not agree with you more.
America has modified the old artillery code in a rather dangerous way:
Fire long.
Fire short.
Fire for CEO compensation & Halliburton contracts.
Moronic. Don’t you think?
Looking back at the past, in those days, we played together; we have no much rappelz money, we have no need equipment and no senior friends too us, but I am still playing very happy. Rappelz left everywhere in our laughter. There is only one reason is that I have her around, I would meet, everything becomes unimportant. One thing I feel very sorry, that is when I married her, mo gorgeous fireworks, mo friends of blessing. Now I have heart, I feel wronged her, I am sorry to her.
Later, in January of this year, I have entered into this long hoped for world. Following in their previous game, I have some experience, at first I bought some RF cp to arm my number, so I grew up gradually. Later, I joined the empire of darkness, I recognize some friends. Later matured, I separated from the darkness; to join a trade union has just established a new, expanding trade union began a journey, and I recognized a lot of friends.
I have not had to play Gaia, and occasionally I will play friend number, in order to spent time. One day, one more than 20 levels player asked me if I can as her husband. At that time, I think she is a fraudsters, I think that number had no things. So I asked her if she had QQ and video. She said she had. So we added QQ and started video, after a short of time video chat, I knew that she was not a liar, she just a new player of Gaia. Soon, we closed the video, we returned to the game, and I bought Gaia gold change some things that married need use, and we married.
Initial contact this game, I did not very like. Since find good reason to release point, I also began to like it. Every day after work, I always go to play this game. Perhaps little girls will like me, in order to give went to all I like it. I dull playing a few weeks, very few speak to people and I have 26 levels and also I earn a little GuildWars Gold.