Military Issues in Lebanon

[Az]

Israel made a major miscalculation, thinking these guys would be pushovers like the Palestinians.

umm, I hardly think this is the case. In fact, we still haven't used our full strength and haven't performed according to our battleplans, due to the political leadership's fear of a "land war in asia".

If the UNSC resolution will result in what it looks like, it's just fine with me. As to the rest of the arab world fearing us? well, I am not really concerned with that - they still fear us, otherwise they'd attack us.

[chequita guevara]

I highly doubt Egypt and Jordan are chomping at the bits.

[Az]

Jordan didn't they have any reason to fear us, really.

Egypt is a slightly different story - but they know their strengths and weaknesses against us.

To put it simply, we pretty much got what we wanted. It would be awesome to get it through a swift military campaign through S. Lebanon, after weeks of waiting for a favourable UNSC resolution, and stalling our forces, but this is great, too.

[Seeker]

err...you WANT to have another useless UN force that will have Hezbollah launching missiles a couple of meters away again?

WHY exactly?

Please tell me that you don't think the 'international monitoring force' will actually increase security in any meaningful way.

At the most it means that Hezbollah will have to buy more expensive missiles...you've bought yourself a couple of months of quiet, nothing more.

[chequita guevara]

I think Hizbollah is more than happy with the outcome. They don't need to tease Israel anymore. They are the heroes of the Arab world, even to the Christians and Druze and Bahai.

[Datajack Franit]

Originally posted by Az
To put it simply, we pretty much got what we wanted.

Hezbollah retreating by 20kms? Do you understand you will never have another chance to eradicate them?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
They don't need to tease Israel anymore.

Until the next time.

[Seeker]

Update: The so-called "international force" will now be an expansion of the existing UNIFIL force, also known as Operation Symbolic Gesture, like I said would happen.

The Israelis actually thought they could get a real international force with some teeth!

Russia will, and is working to, tone it down more, along with the Arab countries.

Wheee! Getting 'everything you want' is so easy in the Middle East. All you have to do is redefine reality.

Like I said, Israel will "declare victory and go home" and leave an "International Farce" in place in and in 2-3 months the same old situation will exist.

[DinoDoc]

I look foward to additional kidnapings aided by said force then.

[Patroklos]

The antitank missiles are the “main fear” for Israeli troops

Wow, as I owuld expect. Anti-ship missiles are my main fear here in the Gulf, doesn't mean the Iranians are using them effectively (or at at all).

Imagine that, the main fear of a tanker is anti tank weapons. Who would have thought?

In the mean time, the Israelis still hold every position they have thought it was worth their time to take, Hezbollah is still in full retreat.

[Az]

Update: The so-called "international force" will now be an expansion of the existing UNIFIL force, also known as Operation Symbolic Gesture, like I said would happen.

The name is unimportant, because UNIFIL was 2k strong, and this will be 17k strong. The question is about it's authorities. just the fact that it's a peacekeeping force doesn't mean it's worthless. The question is what is it's authority.

[Harovan]

UNIFIL had the mandate to sit and watch, nothing more. So complaining that they had "no teeth" is quite dumb. They had as many teeth as a 2k force can have, just not the right to bare them. I hope the new version of UNIFIL will have this right, and that their muzzles point in both directions.

[Patroklos]

So have they announced which countries will man this force, because it is really no big deal for the UN to mandate 17k in troops, the big deal is getting countries to volunteer to fill the billets.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Seeker
Update: The so-called "international force" will now be an expansion of the existing UNIFIL force, also known as Operation Symbolic Gesture, like I said would happen.

Yep. Israel wanted the new force to be under the chapter 7 rules of engagement since that would allow them to at least fire back if fired upon or if Hezbollah once again started using the UN as human shields. Instead, like the UNIFIL force which has been there since 1978, the "new" force will also be chapter 6 which means they're worthless lame ducks incapable of doing anything meaningful.

This is a huge mistake. UN forces under chapter 6 are completely useless and will only be used as a pawn of the terrorists which puts the lives of UN personnel in danger. Why send them if there is no realistic chance the UN forces can do anything benificial and that sending them is likely to cause harm to UN personnel? This is all political bull**** and the new group will be just as worthless as UNIFIL.

[Az]

I can't wait for the investigation comittee.