Former IDF chief: Soldiers were sacrificed for spin

[sabra]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/762448.html

Former IDF chief: Soldiers were sacrificed for spin

Former chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon believes the prime minister and chief of staff should resign, and the defense minister should be replaced for mismanaging the war in Lebanon.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Haaretz which will be published in Friday's Magazine, Ya'alon condemned the decision to launch the ground operation at the end of the war, in which 33 soldiers died.

"That was a spin move," Ya'alon said. "It had no substantive security-political goal, only a spin goal. It was meant to supply the missing victory picture. You don't do that. You don't send soldiers to carry out a futile mission after the political outcome has already been set. I consider that corrupt."


...

Does the prime minister have to resign?

"Yes. He can't say he didn't know. He can't say that. Even if he was not an army person in the past and was not prime minister or defense minister, he knows how one goes to war. This is not the way to go to war. And he knows how a war is managed. This is not the way a war is managed. Going to war was scandalous, and he is directly responsible for that. The war's management was a failure, and he is responsible for that. The final operation was particularly problematic, and he was directly involved in that. He was warned and did not heed the warnings. Therefore, he must resign."

[daleo]

1. In a way, the whole war seemed like spin

It seemed to be largely fought for the TV news reports, and the victor was the side that one the P.R. war.

[eccles12]

2. The same can and should be said of our invasion of Iraq. nt

[gratuitous]

3. Will the dogs come out baying in full force?

In the United States, such a forthright statement would bring out the attack poodles of the Repressive Right to yell and scream about how Ya'alon is encouraging Hezbollah. Of course, civil discourse in Israel may have matured past the point where they get all upset with comments on what is apparent to everyone else in the world must be kept secret from the general population in Israel.

We clearly don't roll that way in the U S of A.

[Poll_Blind]

5. The Repressive Right in Israel is leading the charge on this one.

  And the reason has little to do with Lebanon: It has much, much more to do with the Israeli "settlements" in Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Kadima Party's pledge to remove them, to some extent. The Likud party in Israel is extremely conservative and almost makes the GOP in the United States look positively Liberal in comparison. Sharon, who used to be the shining star of the Likud, along with Ehud Olmert (who replaced him) and Tzipi Livni (second generation Likud) broke away from Likud and formed their own political party, something which happens frequently in Israel. Kadima is different from Likud only (that I am aware) in their stance on the settlements. This is something equivalent to John McCain breaking away from the GOP to form a party which is the GOP except that they are pro-choice.

  There is a religious element to this as well- the settlements do not merely represent an acquisition and expansion of land for the nation but also to realize a "greater" Israel. Eretz Yisrael, the larger-than-current-size Israel of the Bible. So Kadima's platform which basically says "We recognize that all this territory (Palestine and more, but specifically Palestine) belongs to Israel but we realize that for Israel to be safe we need to cede this territory (at least temporarily) to the Palestinians for us to be safe."

  Even this mealy-mouthed concession to the Palestinians...even this...incenses the Repressive Religious Right in Israel, along with the Likud, both ideologically and politically. So, when you see and hear things from Israel which are very critical of Olmert's government, realize that this is not, repeat NOT generally because of some post-Vietnam type period of introspection. Sharon was a butcher and a war criminal- in fact, the Likud was founded in part by Jewish terrorist organizations- and he was extremely popular in Israel who see such things as necessary to survival.

  Most Israelis are displeased with Olmert because he did not finish the job (ominous intonation intentional) in Lebanon.

  You will hear much more criticism of this government, but I guarantee you it will shut off like a spigot as soon as Likud comes back into power. Likud supports the settlements and because of this they will receive a great, great deal more leeway to do whatever they want. And they will. And it will be bloody because that is the Likud way.

PB

[Wilber_Stool]

4. Before you go to war

be absolutly sure that it is what you want to do. Sun Tzu.