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Area: WoT Operations    WoT Background    Non-WoT        Politix   
Israel air strikes hit Hamas HQ
Today's Headlines
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Page 6: Politix
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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Netanyahu calls Obama's bluff
Posted by: tipper || 11/17/2012 02:37 || Comments || Link || [336081 views] Top|| File under:

#1  the centrality of the Palestinian problem in the regional policies of the Islamic regime in Tehran

I used to think that people like the author are just pretending---nobody can be that stupid.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/17/2012 5:00 Comments || Top||

#2  Nonetheless, it is dinner jacket who is calling 0's bluff.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 11/17/2012 6:33 Comments || Top||

#3  I used to think that people like the author are just pretending---nobody can be that stupid.

Don't underestimate the amount of pro-Arab sentiment around the world. Maybe it originates in the cradle of civilization stuff, maybe it comes from the 1001 nights - the point is that some of these guys are so infatuated with the Arabs that they think it's unreasonable for Israel to respond militarily to Arabs lobbing missiles into their cities. Of course, if Pakistan were to do the same, India would be returning the fire and responding with indignation to any criticism.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 11/17/2012 10:27 Comments || Top||

#4  Maybe it originates in the cradle of civilization stuff, maybe it comes from the 1001 nights

It's the 'civilized fantasy' of going primitive, fighting The Man, getting away from the boredom and all the First World problems.

St. Pancake had the luxury of playing revolutionary in Gaza because she knew that she didn't have to stay in Paleostine. Similarly, every journalist spouting off in Beirut knows that they can hop off their barstool and onto a plane back to New York, Paris , or London. The freelance photog in Syria knows it's just a paying job; they won't be stuck there for the aftermath.

Who knows - maybe there's a paying job touting your recently gained expertise when you get back. Beats having to grub for an art grant or cover all those boring sex and corruption scandals back home.
Posted by: Pappy || 11/17/2012 11:05 Comments || Top||

#5  I was referring to his belief that Iran gives a sh*t about Paleos, ZF.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/17/2012 11:10 Comments || Top||

#6  I was referring to his belief that Iran gives a sh*t about Paleos, ZF.
Only in so far as they are another pawn on the chessboard, g(r)omgoru
Excellent to use as mis-direction, see how this kerfuffle has removed Syria from the front pages.
Posted by: tipper || 11/17/2012 12:30 Comments || Top||


How Hamas Is Winning The Rocket War
I post this for discussion, not because I necessarily agree with the author.
Today, for the first time in decades, air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The rockets fired from the Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,-controlled Gazoo Strip crashed down harmlessly in open areas, but Hamas had nevertheless scored a propaganda victory: It had proved that it could endanger the lives of citizens in Israel's two largest cities.

These latest attacks are just one indication of how, despite Israel's best efforts, Hamas's stockpile of rockets is only growing deadlier with time. In October 2009, current Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen co-authored a study at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on the 2008-2009 Israeli offensive in Gazoo: It reported that 600 rockets were fired into Israel during the 22-day war, most of which were domestically produced, short-range weapons. By comparison, the IDF reported earlier today that more than 550 rockets had struck Israel in the past three days -- and of course, the weapons managed to reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, which Hamas was incapable of doing during the previous conflict.

Bill Clinton, of all people, predicted this in a 2009 interview with Foreign Policy, and worried openly about what it meant for the future of a peace agreement. "[I]t's only a question of time until [these rockets] are de facto outfitted with GPS positioning systems. And when that happens and the casualty rates start to really mount, will that make it more difficult for the Paleostinians to make peace instead of less?" he worried. "Because they will be even more pressed by the radical groups saying, 'No, no, look, look, we are making eight out of 10 hits. Let's stay at this.'"

Assuming the Israeli government isn't willing to let a steadily increasing proportion of its population live under the threat of rocket fire -- a fair bet -- what is its answer to this conundrum? For answers, I turned to retired Brigadier General Shlomo Brom, a former director of strategic planning in the Israel Defense Forces and currently a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, one of Israel's premier think tanks.

Brom's response will provide little solace for Hamas, or the people of Gazoo. "Eventually, weapons are getting to Gazoo, and because of that I don't think the solution is to prevent Hamas from holding these kinds of weapons. It's not possible," he says. "The only solution -- which is of course is a partial solution -- is deterrence."

In a nutshell, Brom's argument is that Israel can't stop Hamas from acquiring these weapons -- but it can make the costs of using them unbearably high. It's a recipe for many future confrontations just like this one.
Posted by: trailing wife || 11/17/2012 00:00 || Comments || Link || [336095 views] Top|| File under: Hamas

#1  And Hizbollah won 2006 war---but they've been awfully quiet (as far as Israel is concerned) since then. 4 days ago Paleosimians had hundreds of Fajr & Grad missiles---today they've a lot less. And just wait until they start accessing the infrastructure damage they've sustained.

On a long run: peace with Muslims (Arabs in particular) is impossible. However, both Muslim ME and their principal anti-Israeli ally EUrope face collapse. In case of Europe it'll lead to return to nation states too busy to survive to indulge their "anti-Zionist" hobby. In case of Arabs, famine with total collapse of social organization.

Right now Israel just have to buy time.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/17/2012 1:23 Comments || Top||

#2  Buy time and build walls.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike || 11/17/2012 5:55 Comments || Top||

#3  This is the same logic that allows hostess workers and supporters to proclaim “philosophically, I think the union wins”. Tough economic times mess up people's minds and lead to war.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 11/17/2012 6:30 Comments || Top||

#4  Buy time and build walls

Let wood for walls be bow and spear.
That enemies do them na dare.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 11/17/2012 7:41 Comments || Top||

#5  Go long.
Posted by: Shipman || 11/17/2012 8:41 Comments || Top||

#6  This is a familiar story. Israel wins at arms, the bad guys win on paper. There are plenty of ways to counter the rocket threat, but the chattering class will excoriate Israel if they ever implement an effective countermeasure.

For Israel, as for us in the US, the trick is to not listen to those who want you to fail.
Posted by: Iblis || 11/17/2012 10:53 Comments || Top||

#7  this is a form of assymmetric warfare - and for Hamas it's all about public opinion on the Arab streets plus financial backing from secret supporters. the ground war is irrelevant - they know it will stop sooner or later. for them it's a WIN just because they fought Israel. until Israel changes this dynamic - things won't get better for Jerusalem.
Posted by: Raider || 11/17/2012 23:00 Comments || Top||

#8  And before HAMAS was AL-QAEDA winning the larger GWOT = ISLAMIST JIHAD agz the US.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/17/2012 23:19 Comments || Top||

#9  OOOOPPPSSS, forgot DEFENCE.PK/FORUM > THE ARAB SPRING REACHES JORDAN | THE ARAB SPRING HAS BEGUN IN JORDAN | THOUSANDS OF JORDANIAN PROTESTORS CALL FOR KING ABDULLAH TO GO.

Reno's Command.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 11/17/2012 23:24 Comments || Top||

#10  This is the same logic that allows hostess workers and supporters to proclaim "philosophically, I think the union wins".

I wonder how many such victories the unions will be able to withstand.
Posted by: gorb || 11/17/2012 23:29 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
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2Govt of Syria
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1Hezbollah
1Hizb-ut-Tahrir
1Govt of Sudan
1Lashkar-e-Islami

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Two weeks of WOT
Sat 2012-11-17
   Israel air strikes hit Hamas HQ
Fri 2012-11-16
  Israel Warns of Escalation After Tel Aviv Missile Firing
Thu 2012-11-15
  Gaza missiles fired at Tel Aviv
Wed 2012-11-14
  France recognizes rebel coalition as legitimate rulers of Syria
Tue 2012-11-13
  Jamaat, Shibir go berserk in Bangla
Mon 2012-11-12
  Govt. Soldiers shoot it out in Mogadishu
Sun 2012-11-11
  IDF Changes Rules of Engagement Along Syrian Border
Sat 2012-11-10
  Mexican police charged over US embassy staff shooting
Fri 2012-11-09
  David Petraeus resigns from CIA
Thu 2012-11-08
  Syria raids Hamas offices months after group's leaders leave
Wed 2012-11-07
  Bombings, Clashes Kill 131 in Syria as Gunmen Assassinate Parliament Speaker's Brother
Tue 2012-11-06
  Suicide bomber kills at least 27 by army base near Baghdad
Mon 2012-11-05
  Grenade attack on Kenya church kills 1, wounds 14
Sun 2012-11-04
  Two Suicide Bombers Attack Restaurant in Somali Capital
Sat 2012-11-03
  30 people shot dead in Nigeria, rights group says

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