Hunting monsters in Jerusalem...

[bridgit]

'In his roles as chief of the White House's global democracy initiative and as National Security Council deputy adviser, Elliott Abrams, a neo-conservative ideologue, is well positioned to ensure that his radical ideas determine the directions of US foreign policy in the Middle East. But Abrams and others in the Bush administration are finding that their mantras of "democratic globalist" and "power through strength" are badly backfiring.

In the wake of the most recent conflict with Hezbollah, Israel is abuzz with criticism of the government and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for having led the nation to war without achieving any of its objectives. Many Israelis, including IDF officers, are also charging that the Bush administration and US neo-conservatives have been encouraging Israel to act as the US government's stalking horse in its grand strategy to create a "new Middle East" by striking out first against Hezbollah - and then Syria and Iran.'

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HH26Ak01.html

[Arkham House]

1. At least Israel's democracy is vigorous enough...

...to actually have real, meaningful debates about substantive isues...wonder what it's like to live in a country like that...

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Unlike those of us in the US who can wage war

and not worry about the consequences, the Israelis do.

It's no fun living in bunkers and shelters for weeks and having missiles landing in your neighborhood. Plus, the IDF is not an all volunteer army like the US. Everyone is Israel has to serve.

They just got a taste of what being the US's proxy really means and it wasn't pretty or fun.

[furman]

3. They also got a taste of how entrenched Hezbollah has become

There has been criticism that Israel has done too little against Hezbollah since withdrawing from Lebanon in 2000.

Letting Iran and Syria supply arms and funds to Hezbollah and not strongly enforcing UN Resolution 1559
has allowed Hezbollah grow into a real threat to Israel.

[maalak]

4. if Hezbollah is disarmed, Israel will have met one key objective...

that was a requirement of the cease fire, right?

i know, i know... i'm not holding my breath either.... but to say they haven't met their objectives is inaccurate. if Hezbollah refuses to live up to the cease fire, then i imagine this won't be over.