Caught with its pants down

[bemildred]

By Yoel Marcus

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Our illustrious army, one of the most advanced in the world, with its nuclear option, its fighter planes that can fly to Tehran and back, its unmanned aerial vehicles and drones and guided missiles, has been caught twice with its pants down, in scenarios that had been foreseen. Major General Giora Eiland offered a blow-by-blow description of how we fell into a Hamas trap at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Despite the lessons of the past, despite updated alerts, despite being "prepared" for tunnels being dug by terrorists and possible kidnappings, the alarm was not sounded in time.

Before we had even digested the first bungle, Hezbollah, employing a brilliant but known diversionary tactic, killed eight Israel Defense Forces soldiers and kidnapped two others. For their release, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah brags that Israel will have to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners. With three abducted soldiers in the hands of these two brother organizations, which operate under Iran's aegis, he has touched a raw nerve. For where in Israel will you find journalists or politicians who will dare to say that we must not give in to blackmail, because doing so will only lead to more kidnappings and more blackmail?

Moshe Arens used to say that you don't need military intelligence to find out things the enemy has let you know in advance. Nasrallah has said over and over again that Hezbollah was planning to seize hostages. Our generals knew that abductions posed the greatest threat to Israel, because of the myth, still clung to by the IDF, that casualties are never abandoned on the battlefield, not to mention the army's inability to stand up to parental pressure to free their dear ones, no matter what the cost.

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With eight soldiers dead, three hostages and an arrogant demand to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners, an attempt is being made to hurt Israel's ego and drag it into the trap of a ground attack on Lebanon. Despite the prime minister's militant yet carefully worded statements yesterday, Israel must act from both the brain and the gut.

Haaretz

[Master Mahon]

1. What a bullcrap story if I ever heard one!

Smacks of BushCo's lame 9/11, didn't connect the dots, story!

[sarge43]

2. All the high tech shit in the world won't save your ass if you're

arrogant and think you're smarter than the other guy.