Your remarks are spot on regarding the atrocities committed by Hamas and the Israeli government's right to self defense. However, in fighting in an urban environment civilian casualties will sadly be a given no matter how careful and precise the IDF is in their targeting. This situation will be further complicated by Hamas intentionally using women and children as human shields. One Israeli officer posed the IDF dilemma concisely when he asked how does one fight an immoral enemy without losing your own soul in the process?
Is there any chance that US special forces (Delta, Seals etc.) can infiltrate Gaza and rescue American citizens? I know any plans to that effect would be top secret, but assuming Israel holds off temporarily on its invasion of Gaza, perhaps in order to extricate its own and other countries' hostages, can we have any hope that our military is planning something of that nature?
Such operations take a lot of planning before hand Sharon and rather fear things have blown up rather too quickly for the military to plan anything. I would rather doubt they even know where the hostages are being held.
With respect to this war caused by Hamas terrorist leaders and by their, essentially, racist and wrongful, teleological ideas, I revert in any opinion on this horrific situation to Yitzhak Rabin and his public portrayal in a long - ago speech of "The Frog and the Scorpion". I do not like wikis, but also maybe review -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak_Rabin
Your remarks are spot on regarding the atrocities committed by Hamas and the Israeli government's right to self defense. However, in fighting in an urban environment civilian casualties will sadly be a given no matter how careful and precise the IDF is in their targeting. This situation will be further complicated by Hamas intentionally using women and children as human shields. One Israeli officer posed the IDF dilemma concisely when he asked how does one fight an immoral enemy without losing your own soul in the process?
The thought of a Gaza siege is distressing for countless reasons, but also because a huge proportion of the population is under 16 years old.
Thanks for the link to the Friday panel discussion, I've been to others like this at FSI in the past and they're always enlightening.
Is there any chance that US special forces (Delta, Seals etc.) can infiltrate Gaza and rescue American citizens? I know any plans to that effect would be top secret, but assuming Israel holds off temporarily on its invasion of Gaza, perhaps in order to extricate its own and other countries' hostages, can we have any hope that our military is planning something of that nature?
Such operations take a lot of planning before hand Sharon and rather fear things have blown up rather too quickly for the military to plan anything. I would rather doubt they even know where the hostages are being held.
With respect to this war caused by Hamas terrorist leaders and by their, essentially, racist and wrongful, teleological ideas, I revert in any opinion on this horrific situation to Yitzhak Rabin and his public portrayal in a long - ago speech of "The Frog and the Scorpion". I do not like wikis, but also maybe review -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak_Rabin