Israel "Ignored" UN Troops Pleas To Stop Firing So Close To Them, page 4

Originally posted by subz

If Hezbollah had set up shop right next to the UN observation post one would logically think the following:

a) Israel would protest loudly to the UN about such behaviour before launching an attack
b) The UN observation post would report the close proximity of Hezbollah militants and demand they withdraw
c) The reports state that Israel's fire progressively got nearer and nearer to the UN observation post. If Hezbollah was right next to the UN observation post why was the fire not instantly upon the UN observation post?
d) There are no reports that Israel informed the UN observation post of the proximity of Hezbollah militants to their location. If that was the case should it not of been reasonable to request the UNFIL troops evacuate their position prior to it being hit with a missile?
e) Why did Israel say the firing would cease on every conversation held between the UNFIL troops and the IDF? Why lie?

I don't think I have all the answers, but I will give a good try.

A) Really? At what point did Israel get taken seriously at the UN? Lets face it, Israel loathes the UN, they are the only country who is barred from the UN Security Council because they are barred from serving on a regional committee, apparently, the rest of the Mid East doesn't like Israel. If any protest takes place, it will be by the US for Israel, and I think Bush is too weak to do that right now due to Iraq.

B) Uhm, the UN observation post may not have had a chance to report it at that time. I imagine if a bunch of Hezbollah run up to your position with rifles and rockets, start shooting at Israel, the last thing they will let you do is talk about it while they are there.

C) Actually, as I read the reports, Ireland's senior soldier in Lebanon, Lt. Col. John Molloy, had phoned his Israeli Defense Forces counterpart "on six occasions immediately before the obliteration of this observation post." That is one of many examples of attempts to tell the IDF to stand down on that outpost.

I think it is interesting that after Ireland made some of the most noise, presumably discussing the issue with Israel, they backed off pretty quick and began re-evaluating whether their peacekeepers would stay on the line.

D) Israel doesn't have to tell people they are about to get bombed. From all the sources I have available, Israel is using their older F-16C/Ds with mostly Laser Guided Bombs, the 500lb variety, in this war along the border. All the GPS stuff is being deployed North. That tells me you have soldier on the ground painting a target with a laser, or UAV in the air doing the same. Bomb goes to where laser is pointing. If a rocket launched from that position, laser would paint the target and bomb would hit it.

E) Because while there are laws of war, when the shooting starts the only law that applies is Murphey's Law. From what I have seen the IDF is getting beaten down like a wet puppy, they look disorganized and tactically challanged unlike they have ever been, at least in my lifetime. I think the investigation will show confusion and a general clusterffffff is taking place within the IDF right now, because I think they expected to route Hezbollah, and now they are in the toughest fight they have seen since the 7 days war.

After all, Israel has to stop those rocket attacks to win, all Hezbollah has to do to win is keep the rocket attacks going until the cease fire takes place. Today, more rockets hit Israel than any day in the last 7. Israel is clearly losing not only on the battlefield, but on the propaganda front too.

Our expectations that the Israeli Army is organized, mythotical, and calculating might be an unreasonable expectation by us, based on past performance against militant Hamas who shoot 45s and throw rocks. The evidence says Israel is not any of those things right now, and when an Army loses organization, it gets sloppy.