Early Reports Confirm 2 IDF KIA.
Unconfirmed one additional IDF KIA, for a total of three KIA at this time. Dozens WIA. The wounded are evacuated to a hospital in Beersheba. The early reports are consistent with an armor led strike on the north Gaza. This region is rolling sand dunes. The Mediterranean ocean is less than five kilometers from any point. The towers of Gaza City loom. These dunes are the choice launch sites for the Katyushas north to Ashkelon and Beersheba. There was a report overnight that five more rockets were fired from the north, however they were the crude Qassams.
What Is the IDF Mission?
There are general plans in the open sources however no specific targets. Where are the 220 mm Katyusha rockets? Where is command for the rockets? The IDF must secure the rocket sites not only in the north but also in the south. The south of Gaza from the abandoned Israeli farms to the Rafak border is lightly populated and rolling dunes to the sea. The tunnels from Sinai open in Rafak. From there, it would be straightforward to transfer weapons and rockets the ten kilometers to bunkers in the dead center of the Gaza Strip. Gush Katif. Khan Younis. Is this the mission target? Is this what those IDF 155mm armor units (below) are shooting at?
Europe Confused, UN is Babel.
The presidency of the EU passed to the Czech Republic Juri Potuznik on January 1; and right on time President Potuznik remarked a sensible supporting remark, "At the moment, from the perspective of the last days, we understand this step as a defensive, not offensive, action." The former president of the EU was Nicholas Sarkozy of France, who used his Foreign Ministry to comment most negatively, "France condemns the Israeli ground offensive against Gaza as it condemns the continuation of rocket firing." Confusing? No, it's the EU practicing good cop/bad cop; and all on French TV. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council listened to a condemnation of Israel authored by Libya. The US is given credit for laughing Libya 's genius out of the chamber. The UN will return to the staircase to Babel today for Monday headlines. I expect to read threats and promises all this evening Sunday 4.
Does God make man fulfill prophecy? Or, does man, in Gods name, make prophecy fulfilled ??
Does it matter?
I think I see many boats on the sea...
Babel-like babble from the United Nations - that distinctive monolith at 44th and 1st, that’s only recently failed to pass every NYC inspection code, but stands immune from the standards imposed on the rest of the city - is likely all you’ll hear. From there it spills its banks to flow like raw sewage further downtown to be repackaged again into shock jock ratings by the media for all those who no longer listen. I do note a more cautious note in all the ubiquitous anti-Israel diatribes, however. Could it be that the Palestinians are expected to win this round outright? “Winning”, after all, has been degraded down to the point of mere existence (dead or alive), with not much more needing to be said.
The real danger lurks much further downtown, where beaded curmudgeons are busy training a new class of spectacled young recruits in the fine art of “resistance”. Word-lab exercises include the deconstruction of concepts like “private property” and “morality”. Students are given stones to throw at shop windows and cops [who (bless their misguided souls) may not yet have gotten the message). The aim is at creating an army of freedom fighters who, unencumbered by antiquated notions of religious piety, will go out and raise enough havoc for long-lived institutions to fall prey to the brutality of the moment – all for the sake of a planet besieged by imagined terrors. The productive can no longer be allowed to exist. They must be brought down or eliminated for the sluggards to prosper. Honestly, the logic escapes me. But it happens to be the mood du jour. Who am I to swim against this, the red tide.
KATYUSHA STRATEGY
A terrorist operating in Gaza has the objective of inflicting the most harm possible. The way to do this is to hide the Katyusha rockets, take the punishment, get world opinion on your side, obtain a cease fire. When the Israeli's pull out, launch every single Katyusha at Tel Aviv at once.
Israel is due for some smart moves. I somehow think they have considered all that you guys raise. they know the definition of winning is supposedly surviving. Unless they've lost all intelligence, that should tell them that total removal of Hamas is the only meaningful objective of this action.
As I indicated a day ago, their timing is perfect: oil crashing, US administration in lame duck status, new admin has no benefit from taking a position, moslems seem to not really care, Sarkozy steps down from EU presidency, etc.
We should all know that whatever is said into the cameras is probably not what the speaker believes. I think the fix is in on Hamas. Israel is acting with some wink from the moslem world, esp Egypt and Saudi, maybe Iran.
As far as the UN goes, those guys have always been immune to laws and I mean just about everything. If some of the people from 3rd world countries could see how their despots were living the life of riley, I would how long it would last. Mohammed Atta should have gone north...As far as the red tide, would you rather negotiate with the snakes or get rid of them?
Two thoughts:
What a lousy cammo job: the outline is broken up, but the shine areas are not darkened and the pattern is too regular. (Also, in a mech unit in urban terrain, this is of relatively little use, anyway.)
What is up with that M109? I don't recall ever seeing that when I was in the Artillery. Firing Charge 8 or some Israeli hot propellant?
Not enough range. If it is a BM22 it has about a 40 km range. If it is an Al Abel 50/Astros type thing, it has about a 50 km range. I don't think that is enough.
(Are you sure you don't mean 122mm? That would be the BM 21 "Grad," which will get you 30 km with Chinese ammo and about 20 km with the standard Russian rocket.
The definition of winning is different for a society with settlements versus a nomadic society. In the former case, both the infrastructure and the people have to survive; in the latter case, only the people. I don't know what kind of infrastructure there is to defend in Gaza, but my guess is that the Palestinians have less to lose than the Israelis. John, what are the "towers of Gaza City" you describe? Highrises? Some pictures of Gaza City would be nice, even if they aren't 100% up-to-date.
This media ban is irritating, to say the least.
Lou,
What's pretty cool to do is go to Google, then click on Maps, then drag the map screen across the ocean until you see Israel and the surrounding area, click on the magnification you want, then switch to 'Satellite' and you'll have the whole thing in pretty good resolution. I was doing it for during the Georgia conflict as well.
vsk