What is Israel hoping to accomplish?

[DireStrike]

It seems to me that this attack, at this level of intensity and on these targets, can achieve only one goal: making Israel look tough.

-But Israel has a right to defend itself!

Yes, it does. Lebanon did not attack Israel, yet it seems that non-hezbollah areas of lebanon are being attacked. In any case, this will not make Israel safer. Hezbollah will come back, with new recruits. Lebanon and its citizens will be angry, if they weren't already. And people like me will be less supportive of Israel.

-What else should Israel do?

I'm not an expert by any means. I haven't even left my apartment in the last two days. But blindly lashing out at people and places that may or may not be related to your attacker doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[MrTriumph]

1. Israel is intensifying the hatred of her enemies.

x

[rurallib]

2. I think they are putting on a show for certain right wing supporters

in a country that will remain unnamed. Do their bidding and Israel will be kept in weapons and oil.

[Recursion]

3. See, here's my problem...

...I really, really, really want to criticize Israel over this, but I can't say I could come up with a better solution.

Ignoring Hezbollah seems like a non-starter to me. They're firing rockets into Israel and crossing over the border to kidnap Israeli soldiers. That's war.

So then, obviously, it seems like if your enemy is Hezbollah, you should hit Hezbollah and not Beiruit. True, and I'll scream that at the top of my lungs to any Israeli gov't people who happen to be lurking here. But then again, they left Lebanon. What is Hezbollah's beef against them? Hezbollah got their land back. Why were they still shooting rockets? And why didn't the Lebanese government make them disarm like they agreed to and like the UN told them to? Why should Israel trust Lebanon as a whole when Lebanon won't even meet the basic requirements of the ceasefire from 6 years ago?

Now, was blowing the crap out of all of Lebanon cool? No, it was stupid. It's just that I can't think of another response to the situation. Negotiate for the prisoners, I guess, but then Hezbollah will just keep firing rockets at you. The Lebanese government has refused to meet its obligations and has allowed an organization that attacks Israel regularly to stay in southern Lebanon. Maybe there was a viable military strategy that just involved hitting the south of Lebanon without disabling the whole infrastructure; I don't know. If there was, damn these warmongers for not taking it. But I could also believe that there wasn't; that if the infrastructure was in place, Hezbollah would just re-arm and reinforce and keep shooting at Israel.

I'm mad as hell at the Israeli government for doing this, but until I can think of an alternative solution that would have a positive effect, I'm not going to condemn them.

[SPKrazy]

8. Lebanon Is Too Weak To Rid Itself Of Hezbollah

Hezbollah has seats in their parliament

Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel, kills and kidnaps troops

Lebanese government runs scared of Hezbollah

Israel is attempting to defend herself.

The problems I see are down the road for them. They are likely doing what America has done in occupying Iraq- creating more terrorists.

Is Isreal going to occupy any part of Lebanon again? All of it?

How else will they control it?

[SPKrazy]

4. Israel Is Flexing Her Muscles

ridding Lebanon of Hezbollah

and unfortunately very likely creating a whole new generation or generations of Hezbollah, or more aggressive terrorists.

The strategy is basically destroy the infrastructure, choke the leadership, cut off the supplies.

The tragedy is the loss of innocent lives.

Hezbollah and terrorist organizations operate out of civilian areas because they are civilians. They have become a military without a country. They probably were having too much success in Lebanon and the Israelis worried that Lebanon was becoming a state of Hezbollah.

Their ties to Iran are notorious as well, and Iran is an avowed enemy of Israel at this point.

I don't think Israel is helping their situation except for the short term.

They would have to occupy Lebanon, prop up an Israel friendly government, and stay there for years.

I don't think that can realistically happen in the region with Syria to their north, and Iran to their East, along with Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab states surrounding Israel that wouldn't likely put up with that and they would end up with more terror than they have now.

Probably the realization from the Likud party and the new party that Olmert is from is that Lebanon has allowed Hezbollah to operate freely for 6 years without recourse from the Lebanese government, or the UN.

Now Israel is taking matters into her own hands.

Again, she is more than likely making matters worse. Kind of like attacking Iraq and removing Saddam hasn't helped stabilize the region either.

[nashville_brook]

5. to pull Iran into the conflict -- duh

[SPKrazy]

9. Iran Won't Get Pulled Into It Really

there may be a false flag operation to make it look that way at some point, but Iran won't get involved until they are attacked.

[nashville_brook]

12. another great historical blunder...

Saddam thought non-engagement would keep him out of a land war in Asia, too.

...to completely mangle the Princess Bride reference.

[nashville_brook]

14. speak of the devil...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1689815

[ShaneGR]

6. To answer your question, creation of a buffer zone on its northern border

They arent blindly lashing out at anything. Their objective is turn problem borders into no go zones.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[unkachuck]

18. I'm with you....

....it's bigger than Israel....today, it's far easier for us to screw-with/replace/control uncoopoerative third-world dissidents/regimes interfering with our global pursuit of oil than it would be to let's say, take on China in the market place or in the military arena in a few years....

[Carolina]

10. WWIII

Israel's response is indiscriminate and totally out of proportion. Lebanon is a weak nation and bombing it, thereby killing, maiming and displacing mostly civilians, does not make Israel tough. It makes Israel look like a bully. A tough guy would go after the alleged weapons purveyors: Syria and Iran. And that ain't gonna happen ... yet.

The bottom line is that you don't eradicate terrorists or terrorism by bombing a nation to bits. Look at Iraq or Afghanistan. The US and Israel, by their actions, are creating more enmity in the region and giving rise to more terrorists. Innocent Lebanese civilians are now more likely to side with Hezbollah against Israel and America. Not to mention the fact that the EU, Russia and China do not support US or Israel either!

Oh, to have leadership and diplomacy.

[DELUSIONAL]

11. Consider WATER resources

Tuesday, 10 September, 2002, 17:39 GMT 18:39 UK
Israel warns of war over water BBC headline 10 September, 2002,



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2249599.stm

n alleged Lebanese scheme to divert water from a river feeding Israel's largest reservoir could provoke a war, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has warned.

Israeli army radio quoted the prime minister as saying on Tuesday that the issue constituted a "casus belli", or "grounds for war".

He was addressing senior military and civilian officials after a cabinet meeting.

Lebanon opened a pumping-station on the River Hasbani in the spring of 2001 to irrigate a drought-stricken village but denies that it plans to dam the river.

The river supplies between 20 and 25% of the water flowing into the Sea of Galilee, an official at Israel's Ministry of Agriculture was quoted as saying by the French news agency AFP.

It rises in Lebanon and flows for about 50 kilometres (30 miles) through its territory before joining the River Jordan and emptying into the Sea of Galilee.

Warning

Army radio said Mr Sharon had notified the United States that Israel could mount military operations should Lebanon begin pumping water out of the Hasbani or its tributary, the River Wazzani.

The Israeli Transportation Minister, Ephraim Sneh, said Mr Sharon had called for a "good and enlightened way" to settle the issue but was ready to "act".

Lebanese workers lay water pipe
The project has drawn criticism from Israel
"If Lebanon put into effect its project to siphon water from the river, it would be serious enough a reason for Israel to act," Mr Sneh told the radio station.

How dare Lebanon use her own water.

Why destroy a country's infrastructure??? To slow down water usage????

I do know that the International experts on water have been predicting that wars of the century will be over water resources.

[nashville_brook]

13. OMG! i'm so glad someone has finally mentioned this...

it would be great to start a thread on this... or at least collect links to economic/strategic resources conflicts in the area recently.

this whole bullshit "war" is not what it seems. water issues on the golan is not something that most people prick their ears up for, but the news is out there. this angle is extremely interesting.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

15. CIA report published (app 5yrs ago) 2020 water wars it should

be available but with the reclassifications wthk (who the hell knows).

It was on a major network and started to show the water resources and the wars that would ensue.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1688245

[DELUSIONAL]

17. I am trying to push the Water issue to the forefront --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1686692&mesg_id=1686692

Because WATER will be an issue in nearly every war from here on out -- according to the experts who have been tracking this issue for decades.

[shance]

16. What are racist wealthy white males who create these wars trying to do?

and trying to accomplish?

I thinks it's time to confront the frighteningly racist, hateful, genocidal tendencies from these evil wealthy males who are turning their aggressions to everyone who doesn't let them do whatever they want to do.