Olmert's political considerations still hinder the army
WorldNetDaily explains perfectly why, for as long as Ehud Olmert does the following, the IDF will not be able to operate properly in Gaza:
Update: read also this entry from Mid East Newsline (via One Jerusalem).
Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz announced the new IDF operation was aimed in part at stopping the regular Qassam rocket fire from Gaza into nearby Jewish communities. An Israeli soldier and at least 23 Palestinians, mostly militants, have been killed in street battles since yesterday, making it seem a major operation is underway.So you see, that's exactly why what Ariel Sharon did by expelling Jews from their homes in Gaza and then retreating was very serious, because it led to the massive firing of kassam rockets at any given position by Islamofascist terrorists in the Gaza area. And as long as Olmert keeps on insisting on "restraint", the IDF will be unable to handle things properly.
But due mostly to political considerations, Olmert still has not authorized the IDF to do what must be done to halt some of the regular Qassam rocket fire – recapture the parts of Gaza used by Palestinian terrorists to launch missiles.
Military leaders here tell WorldNetDaily Olmert is allowing the IDF, for now, only to take over certain sections of Beit Hanoun and Bait Lahia – territories most routinely used to fire rockets – with the goal of denting the terror infrastructure there. They said Olmert has not authorized the Israeli army to overtake all key sections of the two cities.
Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia are preferable Palestinian rocket launching pads because they offer some of the closest territories to the adjacent Israeli Negev Jewish communities that have been the target of rocket fire since Israel evacuated the Gaza Strip last August.
But even if the IDF temporarily occupies the two cities, which would involve heavy urban combat, Qassam launching-cells can simply switch to firing rockets from other locations.
Israeli and Palestinian security sources say Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups have succeeded in developing enough advanced Qassams and other kinds of missiles capable of traveling more than eight miles. Some rockets have been smuggled into Gaza from Egypt, while a good deal of the current advanced Palestinian rocket stockpiles – which includes Qassam missiles with twin engines – have been developed inside Gaza. That means if the Palestinian groups chose to continue the rocket fire – even with the Israeli army in northern Gaza – they can.
Update: read also this entry from Mid East Newsline (via One Jerusalem).
Labels: military
