...
And to those who want to say I told you so, claiming that Hizbullah has prepared for this moment and therefore the change in world opinion should have been expected because of the civilian casualties - that is no excuse for letting Hizbullah continue to exist to threaten Israelis...
What all of these righties fail to understand is perception. Oh, they get it all right when it comes to spinning American perception of their failures, but they never take into account others' perceptions around the world. Every policy is, when you boil it down, about the next election in this country.
There's a way to go after Hezbollah without inflaming your neighbors, you know, the people who want to kill you as it is but haven't been given a good enough excuse. Hezbollah was waiting for Israel to pull this, as I said in the aforementioned post. They've had six years to fortify but the wingnuts, like the Israelis, can't seem to wrap their minds around it. Well lookee here, I just grabbed this via Michael Stickings:
...
[Hezbollah's #2 Sheikh Naim] Qassem admitted Hezbollah had been preparing for conflict since Israel withdrew from south Lebanon in 2000. He claimed it had not been convinced that Israel's aspirations in Lebanon were over, despite its withdrawal.
...
The hubris and arrogance of the Bush government is matched by the Israelis. This is not an operation over the disappearance over two Israeli soldiers. This is about Iran and Syria. This is the beginning of a proxy war* by the Bush administration to take on Iran because U.S. public sentiment for opening up a new front in the 'War on Terra' is nonexistent. The missing soldiers were an excuse, pure and simple.
And Hezbollah, thanks to the support of Iran and Syria, was ready for it. Do you think it's some sort of accident we are seeing them using longer range rockets as the Israelis drive them farther north? They let the Israelis believe they weren't so well equipped until they actually had to play their hand. We've had twenty days of this and Hezbollah is continuing to fire into Israel.
The Israelis were of the same mind we were when invading Iraq, the cakewalk mentality of being on top for too long. Our quagmire continues and Israel's newest is just beginning. I quote Sheikh Qassem once more:
... Hezbollah's leadership is used to being in the field...
The Israelis might well defeat Hezbollah eventually, but the damage they are doing to themselves in the long run will be far worse than anything they can do to the Lebanese. The Oil Kings' grip on the Arab Street, and their own power, will not last forever. Allegiances will change as surely as the sands shift and it might not do for Israel to continue a policy of remaining an island in the midst of shark-infested waters.
Update:
More answers if we had the brains to implement them.
Update:
And for the bloggers on our side who believe that by critcizing Israel we're showing disregard for the lives of Israeli citizens, let's remember one thing. The IDF has killed far more innocent Palestinians and Lebanese than Hamas and Hezbollah have killed Israelis, now and cumulatively. After 40 years, when will they get it that Israel's heavy handed tactics don't work? If they did, this conflict would have been over by now. Remember, this is happening as retribution for the lives of 2 Israeli soldiers. Hundreds of innocent dead for 2 soldiers who knew the risks. An eye for an eye, my ass.
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