First media report of Israeli “quagmire” spotted!     Al Zawahiri has a new tape out, and in it he credits Hezbolla for the way they are fighting Israel.  Still think you are on the right side of this conflict?&nbsp…

They are worried about how the media will portray their actions.They should kick the media out and fight the war.

When it is over they can let the traitors in the MSM back into cover what happened.

AllahPundit has his first spotting of a media-created Israeli “quagmire”. They don’t waste time, do they? Afghanistan was declared a quagmire only a few weeks into it (and about 30 seconds before the Taliban were routed), and CNN trotted out……

It’s foolish to think air strikes alone will put an end to Hezbullah. It’s also foolish to think you can fight a war without taking casualties. We’ve tried that strategy since Vietnam time and time again, and it’s never taken care of the problem the first time around. You need boots on the ground to cure the problem, along with an understanding by the citizens that deaths will occur no matter how well planned the operation.

I thought from the beginning that Israel might have stepped in some you know what. Look at the history–they couldn’t get rid of Hezbullah in 18 years in Southern Lebanon. Why would a few weeks accomplish what couldn’t be done in nearly two decades?

In November 2004, the US Marines led an assault that took down an entire city, Fallujah, a city of 200,000 in November 2004 with loss of 92 KIA. They cleared the entire city of insurgents, killing thousands.

Compared to urban battles of the past, these losses are extremely light.

It took 4 USMC light infrantry battalions, and 2 US Army Armored Cavalry battalions less than 2 weeks to take the city, though the last pockets of resistance were neutralized on 23 December, 2004. When it was over, thousands (some say as many as 6000) Al Qaeda and the Ba’athist insurgents had been destroyed or captured, and Fallujah was no longer the enemy’s fortified “capital” in the Sunni Triangle.

The Army and Marines have trained for the better part of 2 decades in urban warfare tactics, and it paid off at Fallujah. Unlike WWII or even Vietnam, the high casualty rate (25% KIA or more) traditionally incurred in urban warfare was avoided by using tactics evolved by our military and by the IDF.

Which is why I do not understand the IDF’s apparent inability wipe out Hezbollah. The IDF can put enough troops across the border, they have enough armor, and aircraft, to decisively isolate and destroy Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

I cannot believe that the IDF has lost their edge, no matter how tough Hezbollah is claimed to be.

What is really preventing them from grinding Hezbollah into oatmeal? Is it political? Or is the IDF no longer the sharp spear they used to be?

http://www.sondrak.com/

Whoa! Why isn’t this all over the place?!

What’s up with this, koffi?

The U.N. is clearly siding with terrorists.

…But in a startling turnaround from previous calls to jihad, Zawahiri stated that the war against Israel would be “no more than 15% holy.”…

Gold Plated Eight Letter Word Stored In Secure, Time-Lock Vault…

UN ambulance picking up fighters in Gaza Strip

It takes one generation to lose all that had been won before. The question is: have the newest generations of Israelis bought the current dogma that you are not allowed to fight an all-out war even to save your own nation?

This dogma has been generated, of course, by the enemies of Israel, who have been consistant losers in this battle. It certainly goes against human survival instincts.

If the Israelis have bought into the new dogma, then we have only a siege. A seige of nation, not a castle.

Just read it….

There was a piece yesterday or the day before in Haaretz or J. Post and they quoted an Israeli officer as saying that the movement through the Lebanese towns was slow because they were not using air power (I suppose a lot of helicopter support but also air to ground missiles) because they were concerned about causing civilian casualties in the residential areas from which the Hezbollah are fighting.

If this is true then I think it’s a bit of a concern. It would signify that the Israelis, apart from trying to act decently, may be more concerned about world reaction than they are about actually getting this thing won.

I just think you do the best you can, within reason, not to kill civilians. The Israelis have sent leaflets. Everyone in Southern Lebanon knows there’s a war on and they should probably get out. If they choose to remain, then there is a risk in staying in a war zone. If they were prevented from leaving by Hezbollah, well then it’s Hezbollah’s fault.

In any event, every time the Israeli’s find a strong point in a house, or a basement or an apartment or a Mosque (does Hezbollah use Mosques as military installations?—-naaaahhh) they should just call in the Air Force, and hit it with whatever missile will best clear it out, then move on to the next.If there are civilian deaths, well, they shouldn’t have been there.

I am really just worried that the Israelis are being a bit too sensitive here (I know this sounds harsh). From my viewpoint, with all the bombing and fighting over the past two weeks, the loss of about 600 Lebanese (INCLUDING Hezbollah) seems a lot lower than anyone might have expected.

My concern is that in the past they seem to have had an “in for a dime in for a dollar” mentality.

True, but in the past they were in for a dollar from the word go. It was four or five against one from the outset. This time they can limit things to Lebanon if they play their cards right. I hope.

Off the subject: during World War II, was it called World War II? Or was this nomenclature applied later as with WWI?

I think they’re worried about Syria and Iran coming in. Israel has a great military but they’re not invincible.

A/P: what’s your opionion?