This just in: Israel returns fire on Syrian targets from the Golan Heights

[Sava]

Israel and Hamas deserve each other. Leadership from both sides has more in common with each other than they do any of us or the people they speak for.

Both leaders... murderers, scumbags... and probably love to rape children.

Also, any civilian (especially Israeli) with any sense would come to America. Everyone else is part of the problem. Present company included.

[Dr Strangelove]

I beleive that the guy selected to lead the coalition of factions fighting Assad is a Muslim preacher.

[Kidlicious]

I'm very anti-dictatorship. I hate dictators. But I hate some dictators more than others. And I recognize that allowing elections in certain countries will result in exactly one election and a new, worse dictator.

I love democracy. I think the more democratic (with constitutional freedoms) the world is, the more peaceful and prosperous it will be. But as is often said, democracy must be more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to eat for dinner.

You have no idea how comical you are.

[SlowwHand]

http://readwrite.com/2012/11/14/heads-up-the-idf-is-live-blogging-its-attack-on-hamas-video

Heads Up: The IDF Is Live-Blogging Its Attack On Hamas

[Alexander's Horse]

I saw some idiot from Hamas give a defiant media interview in front of his obliterated office last night. The Hamas guy next to him looked very nervous, kept glancing at the sky, which sort of undercut the "we will win" message, as did the massive ruins behind them.

It would be funny if people weren't dying, especially children on both sides.

[Kidlicious]

I saw some idiot from Hamas give a defiant media interview in front of his obliterated office last night. The Hamas guy next to him looked very nervous, kept glancing at the sky, which sort of undercut the "we will win" message, as did the massive ruins behind them.

It would be funny if people weren't dying, especially children on both sides.

They believe that Jesus didn't really die on the cross, that Allah only made it look like he died. They probably think Allah is only making it look like they are losing.

[Nikolai]

I have a feeling this will end with a major war of some kind before Christmas. Things can escalate quickly from here.

[Zevico]

Depends on what Hamas wants. It's a pretty simple calculus for the Israelis: rockets continue, war escalates. Rockets end, war ends.

For Hamas, of course, the calculus is different. Their priority is to secure long-term support for their cause. Hamas' raison d'etre is the destruction of Israel. Hamas needs to paint its colours, to fly its Islamist flag proudly and differentiate itself from the relatively more moderate Fatah. No negotiations--only the reconquest of Islamic lands for Islamist goals. Otherwise what does Hamas exist for?

Killing Israelis is a means to achieving this end. And the counterweight is that they must weigh their gains in the court of public opinion in the Middle East and the Palestinians against the losses they sustain in war. As the previous Gaza war showed, Hamas is not as concerned with its losses, or Palestinian lives, as it is with securing long-term support for its cause. That lasted months, and ended in an estimated 400-600 Hamas dead. From an army of about 5,000-10,000 (depending on how you count it) perhaps that was enough.

[Alexander's Horse]

there won't be peace in the ME until Hamas and Hezbollah give up terrorism and armed struggle

[giblets]

So why did Hamas decide to start firing rockets into Israel? I don't know what they thought they would accomplish aside from Gaza getting raped again.

[Dinner]

Nobody cares about me :/

I thought you moved to NYC or something.

[SlowwHand]

there won't be peace in the ME until Hamas and Hezbollah give up terrorism and armed struggle

I saw some idiot from Hamas give a defiant media interview in front of his obliterated office last night. The Hamas guy next to him looked very nervous, kept glancing at the sky, which sort of undercut the "we will win" message, as did the massive ruins behind them.

It would be funny if people weren't dying, especially children on both sides.

You can blame Hamas for that. They put their weapons nestled into public places.

[Alexander's Horse]

I had lots of dark thoughts about how to deal with guys like that when I was in Afghanistan.

It seemed to me the SF solved the Gitmo problem - they just killed almost every leader they came across on the battlefield, few prisoners taken, up to and including OBL.

[Zevico]

So why did Hamas decide to start firing rockets into Israel? I don't know what they thought they would accomplish aside from Gaza getting raped again.

It's a popularity contest. Think of it: how did Hamas win an election? How did it seize power in Gaza? By presenting itself as the genuine alternative to Fatah. The murderous take-no-prisoners, negotiate-with-no-one alternative and kill the Israelis. Which is fine, but how long can you keep doing that without killing more Israelis? If you don't you'll start looking soft again.

Also, with the 2012 elections over and the MB in charge in Egypt, Hamas decided to test the waters and see how the MB and the Americans would react to a prolonged assault.

[giblets]

It's a popularity contest. Think of it: how did Hamas win an election? How did it seize power in Gaza? By presenting itself as the genuine alternative to Fatah. The murderous take-no-prisoners, negotiate-with-no-one alternative and kill the Israelis. Which is fine, but how long can you keep doing that without killing more Israelis? If you don't you'll start looking soft again.

Also, with the 2012 elections over and the MB in charge in Egypt, Hamas decided to test the waters and see how the MB and the Americans would react to a prolonged assault.

I just don't see how the inevitable results of firing rockets at Israel are supposed to make Hamas more popular among the inhabitants of Gaza.