If you are one of those who think that terrorism perpetrated by Islamic fascists is simply a law enforcement issue, and not a war, I would like to point out the following:
First, as I've mentioned before, Hizballah is acting more like a well-trained army than a group of mush-headed religionists like we see in Iraq. Bill Roggio quotes the Jerusalem Post and comments on it
The Jerusalem Post provides further information about the fighting in the town the IDF recently claimed was under their control.
Dozens of Hizbullah gunmen armed with antitank missiles and machine guns and geared up in night-vision goggles and bulletproof vests set a trap for a force of Golani infantrymen... [Lieutenant Colonel Yaniv] Asor and his men moved quickly through approximately 15 one-story homes. But as the troops moved through the narrow alleyways, a strong Hizbullah force sent a wave of gunfire and missiles at the force, killing and wounding several soldiers in the first moments of the fight. As Asor and his men fought to regain control of the situation, other Hizbullah cells outflanked them and opened fire on the force as well as other IDF positions in the town... The battle lasted for several hours during which Asor and his men sustained heavy casualties and killed at least 40 Hizbullah guerrillas, some in gunbattles at point-blank range... Wednesday evening, after the IDF had once again declared it had secured the town, a Paratrooper force nearby was hit by a Sagger antitank missile... [1 IDF paratrooper was killed and three wounded]
There is one problem with the description: the statement "other Hizballah cells outflanked them" should read "other Hizballah squads outflanked them." Terrorist cells are by definition clandestine in nature. This ambush was the work of well trained and well armed infantry, conducting attacks at the squad and platoon level.
I would also add to this that Israel would not be taking such heavy casualties if it just decided to bomb the town out of existence. But such a decision would kill many civilians and so Israel is doing the risky work of going house to house. Of course, this is the very purpose of Hizballah's embedding themselves within the civilian population.
They know our side is moral. They see this as a weakness and are exploiting it.
Now consider that even though the top Wahabi Cleric in Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Jabreen, has issued a Fatwa against Hizballah, al Qaida has formally allied themselves with the Iranian surrogate.
One of Saudi Arabia's leading Wahhabi sheiks, Abdullah bin Jabreen has issued a strongly worded religious edict, or fatwa, declaring it unlawful to support, join or pray for Hezbollah, the Shiite militias lobbing missiles into northern Israel....
...the Kuwaiti based cleric condemned the imperial ambitions of Iran regarding Hezbollah's cross border raid.
Meanwhile al Qaida continues to threaten the world
"Oh Muslims everywhere, I call on you to fight and become martyrs in the war against the Zionists and the crusaders," the Egyptian born former doctor said.
"The war with Israel does not depend on ceasefires... It is a jihad for God's sake and will last until religion prevails ... from Spain to Iraq," al-Zawahiri said.
The reason why there is no a similarly capable army in Iraq and Afghanistan is precisely because the West is on top of them continually destroying they ability to organize and sustain effective training and infrastructure.
But under UN oversite, when left alone, these terrorist bands can coalesce into an effective and militarily significant force.
"Hezbollah also possesses mortars, RPGs, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, anti-tank missiles and possibly surface to air missiles.... Hezbollah is using infantry tactics and fighting at the squad and platoon level."
The IDF's slow advance (over two days) into Bint Jubayl and the ambush on a tank unit were clear indications of Hezbollah's abilities to stand up to the IDF as well as the IDF's cautious nature on the battlefield. Yesterday we confirmed Hezbollah is fighting at the company level, has specialized units (mortars, antitank, logistics, etc.) in its combat units and is using sophisticated communications equipment, body armor and other gear.
When you realize this, and you consider that al Qaida has established a new safe-haven in Somalia you have to conclude that we are in a global war with a dangerous and pitiless enemy.
At the same time, the divisions within our government and our people, combined with the Press' obsession with highlighting civilian casualties, can we even fight the enemy effectively?
In WWII we first defeated the enemy, then we rebuilt. But here, we are literally rebuilding at the same time we are trying to fight a war. But there is no helping that since if we just left places like Afghanistan and Iraq alone, they would surely breed the same type of force we now see in Southern Lebanon.
The World needs to get more involved. While we are busy in Iraq and Afghanistan we need to have German troops in Somalia and French troops keeping control in the Horn of Africa, etc, etc.
I am concerned that by the time the world wakes up, and that includes people within the US realizing that the Left (not liberals but The Left) has indeed allied themselves with the enemy, it just might be too late.
It is useful to remember that in the just released tape, not only did al-Zawahri say
"It is a Jihad for the sake of God and will last until (our) religion prevails ... from Spain to Iraq, ....We will attack everywhere."
but
A picture of the burning World Trade Center was on the wall behind him along with photos of two other militants. One appeared to be a bearded Mohammed Atta, the Egyptian ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks. The other was Mohammed Atef, also known as Abu Hafs al-Masri, a former top lieutenant of bin Laden who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan in November 2001.
For those who think we are not at war, you had better be right.
Because until we all get on the same page, we are going to lose.
For those of you who think that by attacking the enemy with the intent of destroying him militarily you create more of the enemy, consider that Israel withdrew from Lebanon. Israel withdrew from Gaza. Israel with took down their settlements. And they did this unilaterally without a assurance from the other side.
And look how that turned out.
