What happened in Qana was as inevitable as it was tragic. These are sad days for the world.JERUSALEM. Israel agreed to halt bombing for 48 hours and allow besieged civilians safe passage out of southern Lebanon, U.S. officials said Sunday, a concession granted under intense pressure after one of its airstrikes hit a house full of women and children, killing as many as 56 people.
One factor is that Hezbollah has turned out to be better prepared for war than anyone expected. This has caught the Israeli army and public off guard, and led to a split in planning counterattacks against Hezbollah. Hezbollah is claiming victory, and rightly so.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, it appears, is not up to the task of defending Israeli at this crucial moment in their history. He is no Ariel Sharon, the former Prime Minister, founder of their Kadima Party, who now lies in hospital in a coma.
Sharon would have done what American military commanders feel is the best Israeli option, which is to send in a massive ground force to Lebanon and wipe Hezbollah out. Since the Israeli army met stiffer resistance than expected, including huge underground complexes, sophisticated mine placement, and advanced weaponry, supplied by Iran, the Israeli soldiers and commanders were actually stunned. This led to half the planners opting for mostly an Israeli air offensive, which will not wipe out Hezbollah.
Add this fact to the Hezbollah tactic of using civilians as human shields, and you have the recipe for Qana, and disaster. The Israelis tape every mission. They have video of Hezbollah firing missiles and then retreating back to civilian populations. The dilemma for Israel is that the Hezbollah are launching thousands of rockets into Israel, but then retreating to places where families are forced to stay. Hezbollah won't allow relief supplies to arrive, nor medical help.
So, Israel is left with a Hobson’s choice. Let their own civilians be murdered, strike Hezbollah by air and leave Hezbollah intact, or force a bloody ground invasion.
Striking only by air will lead to more Qana's. Without troops on the ground to verify what is and what isn't a military target, Israel will make mistakes. Plus, Hezbollah will ensure that as many Lebonese civilians die as possible, and they'll be there with their video cameras, along with mobile phones to alert the media.
The Islamo-facists love what happened in Qana, calling it with glee the Qana holocaust. It seems they miss the subtleties of the word “holocaust,” which implies deliberate, massive genocide. Hezbollah deliberately sends 4,000 plus missiles into Israel, aimed squarely at civilians, and the world is silent. Israel makes a tragic mistake in Qana and the world is aghast.
The only rational choice for Israel is to send in ground troops. The world will condemn them, as usual. This way, though, they can really hurt Hezbollah, deny them their victory, and prevent more Qana's. Israel understandably is afraid of this option. They know they will pay a heavy price, with the dead bodies of their young soldiers.
Israel can’t be blamed for demurring at this time, but it is a mistake.
The world continues to show its callousness for the death of innocent civilians. It keeps worshipping brutality. Israelis are scorned. The Hezbollah are pitied, or even honored.
What is likely to happen is a ceasefire sometime soon. The masses don’t like seeing pictures of dead children. Unfortunately, there will be many more pictures like this unless Hezbollah is dismantled.
(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)
This Post’s Technorati Tags: Qana, World, Ehud Olmert, Ariel Sharon, terrorism, Islamo-facism, Al-Queda, Israel, Hobson’s choice, truth
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