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SWJED
10-29-2006, 11:23 AM
29 October Jerusalem Post commentary - Tactics Without Strategy (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1161811222855&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull) by David Forman.


... My heart breaks when I consider the many errors in the recent war that unnecessarily cost the lives of so many of our soldiers. My mind boggles when I consider that there seemed to be little tactical or strategic planning for a possible military engagement with Hizbullah. Yet, despite this inner turmoil, I can still deflate the hostile arguments.

But, when questions turn to the territories, particularly to Gaza, no longer am I able to call upon my defensive skills to ward off criticism of Israel's behavior. Simply, what we are doing in Gaza, as well as in the territories, can only be described as physically extreme, morally suspect and practically counterproductive.

This is not to say that in light of the Lebanon war we should not apply lessons learned; that is, doing our utmost to prevent Gaza from turning into a south Lebanon clone, where, like Hizbullah, Hamas becomes armed with short- and long-range missiles. Most definitely, we must initiate some preemptive strikes to prevent such a possibility from becoming a reality.

Yet, What we are doing in Gaza seems to follow the pattern of what we did during the Lebanon war, and what we have been doing in the West Bank for years - protecting ourselves from Arab violence by randomly attacking everyone and everything in sight. It almost seems that we, like the Palestinians, are employing violence for the sake of violence...