Viper, negotiation only works with reaonable humans.

Did you read my previous post?

If hezbollah has no qualms about hiding behind there own civilians whose life they endanger why should israel or the rest of the world give a damn about how many lebanese/hezbolla die.

No one should give a damn about how many Lebanese civilians die. Israel should do everything in its power to prevent civilian casualties, unless the Israelis wish to share the same category as the groups they are trying to defeat.

I don’t disagree…but how will it be done?

While military power can sometimes be the solution to certain immediate problems, I also think we need to work with a more distant perspective. We need to focus on the different roots and dynamics of terrorism; to identify and understand what the hell lies behind all of it. Personally I’m not sure where to start or how to do it, but I’m sure there is a way, however long and difficult it may be.

There will most likely always be individuals who are prepared to dig up virtually any reason in order to justify terrorism. But in order for these individuals to get many, to get organized, resourceful and to work at large, there probably has to be some public support involved, right? We need to locate, identify and work against the things which provide these parts of the public with reasons to embrace terrorism. When it comes to e.g. the Gaza Strip, this should be getting obvious.

Good. Then they kill those too. Eventually they’ll get the point that “hey maybe being a terrorist isn’t such a bright idea”.

Or maybe they’ll just keep coming and coming and coming and coming…

History has shown that trying to have good faith negotiations with the Palestinians and their terrorist leaders is foolishness.

It is also a fact that e.g. the situation on the Gaza Strip provides breeding grounds for extremism. I’m not saying that the Israelis are the only ones to blame in this context, but it is certain that they carry a substantial responsibility.

Hizbollah’s recent actions against Israel, including both the kidnapping of IDF personnel as well as the rocket attacks against civilian targets, are all very condemnable and must be dealt with. While part of Israel’s military response may be justified in some areas, it also shares a common effect with Hizbollah’s actions: It adds fuel to the fire; momentum to the wheel, whichever way you want to put it.

There is a certain mechanism at work here, and it is important to understand it. You can’t clean out grass root terrorism solely through the use of military force. It will, among other things, continue to feed the notorious circle of violence. As sferrin points out, it is also clear that appeasement is likely to fail in the face of extremists.

While the use of military power sometimes becomes necessary in the efforts against terrorism, it is also important to work with a more distant perspective. One must attempt to identify and work against the roots of the problem; the very factors by which terrorism exists. How do you expect reduce public support to terrorism when your efforts to defeat that same terrorism frequently cause suffering and spark anger within the mentioned public? The mechanism should be apparent.

We need more than military power in order to achieve a sustainable solution, or else the weed will just continue to grow.

I think Cliff Barnes has raised several valid points, some of which I support. No one should resort to personal attacks, though.

Maybe guys over there hate hussein but I personaly think he was a good leader for iraq even he done some mistakes but overall he was good .

Guys over where? Iraq? Can you blame them?

Am I to understand that you do not have much to spare for neither Kurds or Shias, or is it just the person Saddam Hussein you admire, and not the actions of his regime?

Israel is using civilians as shield.

And what about the Hizbollah and certain Palestinian organizations? I hope you realize that this conflict is far from black and white.

Hizbollah is dispersed, orders have already been given, and supplies are pre-positioned etc… Their will be no juicy targets of Hizbollah waiting to be hit. Hizbollah will ride out the Israeli conventional airstrikes, artillery barrages, and movement into S. Lebanon, to strike when it is advantageous on their terms. They will be able to move to the other side of a destroyed bridge.

That’s more or less exactly what I suspect.

Intimidation and collective punishment, will not move Hezbollah in the least bit.

It might help the Hizbollah gain additional public support and therefore be counter-productive for both the Israelis and the Lebanese in terms of any peace efforts. The wheel gains momentum, and both parties make three steps back for every two steps ahead. Sounds oddly familiar in that corner of the world…

I hope I’m wrong like hell.

where was that democracy when you bombed iraqi nuclear plants?

Would you rather have seen a Hussein regime with nuclear capabilities?

They are member of a group called hezbullah and fighting for there rights and honestly that hezbullah fighting good because everytime it attack israeli forces, it kill and wound some.

Attacks on IDF units in Lebanon is (used to be) one thing, but what is your opinion about more or less indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets in Israel? Aren’t they just as bad as Israelis killing Palestinian or Lebanese civilians?

One does not fight terrorism (for the long term) with heavy units.

I don’t want to seem pretentious or anything, but I’ve been thinking and saying (writing) that for some time now.

Why is Israel blowing up bridges ?

A couple of WAGs of mine: To reduce enemy ground mobility, isolate enemy units and personnel, block potential supply- and escape routes, intimidate whoever needs to be intimidated etc.

These are among the objectives I think the Israelis hope to achieve. I do however fail to see the full value of such interdiction operations against civilian infrastructure when there is, as far as I know, basically no “conventional” military forces to strike at. Does the Hizbollah possess cavalry, IFVs, field artillery, aircraft etc.? Do they depend on e.g. light vehicles for transport, supplies and so on? Does the Hizbollah really rely that much on Lebanese infrastructure? Is it really worth the effort and the collateral damage to employ such force in order to get at an opponent like the Hizbollah?

Can a bunch of fighters with AK 47s, find another way accross a dry bridge ?

My point exactly. If they (the Hizbollah) are determined and capable enough, they might be able move, carry out attacks, retreat and resupply without the use of local infrastructure. Although they might be less effective that way; is it really worth it to escalate the situation the way Israel has done? I realize that the Hizbollah initiated this recent clash by committing a highly condemnable act, but are they the only part treading on bad ground right now?

As stated earlier, I think that the term intimidation is a possible part of the equation. Is (what may seem to be) collective punishment a part of Israeli military doctrine? Is it just? I’m not so sure about that.

Israel must be prepared to continually attack both Hamas and Hezbollah for many years.

The wheel keeps spinning. Isn’t it a wonderful world we live in, you guys?

Pardon for any incorrect assumptions in this post.

If they would have been using the borders to bring goods instead of
Katyusha rockets then there wouldn’t be any activities!

Hunting for terrorists is one thing. Cutting supplies of water and power seems, at least to me, different in this context, and I dare question the objectives behind such actions.

Once again, What troops or Settlers were in left in Gaza since the pullout last
summer?

The West Bank is still an issue, isn’t it?

The latest figures say that at least 160 people have been killed. Approximately 460 people are wounded.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5169332.stm

or what pressure Israel
maintain on the Palestinians in Gaza or on their border with Egypt?

Some of the current activities on the Gaza Strip come to mind.

If occupation feed terrorist then why was there terrorism against Israelis
before the occupation or before the state of Israel was created.

I’m not saying that the occupation is the only factor providing grounds for terrorism. It does however add to the circle.