IDF chief: I will resist demands to reenter Gaza

[bemildred]

Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said yesterday he is currently opposed to a ground force operation in the Gaza Strip.

In an Independence Day interview for Haaretz, Halutz said he is not pushing for such an operation since it would not necessarily end the firing of Qassam rockets at targets within Israel.

"We were in Gaza for 38 years. In all the years of fighting in Gaza, we never managed to cut the number of Qassams to zero. There is one school of thought in the defense establishment that argues that we need to reenter Gaza to curtail the Qassams. I oppose this. The army is not the main advocate of this approach. Others within the defense establishment are touting it. They believe that this is the only solution to the Qassams, and they fail to understand the price that this would entail."

Halutz refused, however, to specify who in the defense establishment was advocating the reoccupation of Gaza.

Haaretz

[Englander]

1. Clever lad. Good job he's the CoS. n/t

[pelsar]

2. actually i dont see the problem...

the IDF WAS there...and the kassams were launched.....so what kind of idiotes think that "things have changed"......dont answer that, the IDF has lots of them.

it would also destroy any chance the palestenians have for self rule...and to learn how its done (which may be the underlying reason for those who want to reenter gaza....)

Halutz may be the most intelligent of the COS, israel ever had

[Englander]

5. *sigh*

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=123041#123582

[eyl]

3. I feel constrained to point out that

A) there weren't Qassams for most of those 38 years

and

B) The rate of Qassams went up following the withdrawal.

(which is not to say that reenetering Gaza is necessarily a good idea, but not on those grounds)

[pelsar]

4. you cant go back.....

things have changed....the kassams are only a recent addition. and are not going away. If we do go back, the kassams will lessen as they Palestinians will now have the IDF to shoot at from a closer range...that will keep them busy.

the choices are a bit starker: if the palestenains dont stop the kassams eventually the IDF will have to "stop playing around"..and use far heavier ordance...meaning hitting the actual launch areas and laying waste to those areas.

the other option is to do nothing

[ShalachEtAmi]

6. Doing nothing is not an option..

Its morally wrong.

Its political suicide.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. No, they're not only a recent addition...

They've been used since 2002...

Violet...

[pelsar]

10. and the mortors....

and anti tank rockets?.....i suspect you know very little if anything about their use, when they started, and how many...the kassams are recent...its a relative thing...

[Violet_Crumble]

11. 'the kassams are only a recent addition'

That was yr claim, it was wrong, and I pointed it out....

Violet...

[Violet_Crumble]

8. Qassams have been used since 2002...

The way some carry on in this forum, you'd think they've only been used since the disengagement happened...

Violet...

[Beezer]

7. But as for Air strikes on Empty Workshops

THOSE DAYS ARE OVER! ANY TIME MORE THAN 20 Hamas FIGHTERS GATHER FOR ANY REASON (TRAINING OR CARRYING A DEAD MARTYR) they are toast!