The story of the exploding pagers is both good and amusing news. One can hope some of the worst terrorists kept the things tucked in the front of their pants. However, as the author says, it is only a tactical victory. Unless things in Iran change drastically, sometime, maybe pretty soon, someone will have to inflict a strategic defeat o…
The story of the exploding pagers is both good and amusing news. One can hope some of the worst terrorists kept the things tucked in the front of their pants. However, as the author says, it is only a tactical victory. Unless things in Iran change drastically, sometime, maybe pretty soon, someone will have to inflict a strategic defeat on Iran by destroying its capability to build an atomic bomb. Whether we or the Israelis do it, it seems like a good idea to finish Hamas and Hezbollah off first, limiting the Iranians ability to strike back.
IMO people are missing the strategic point: All the people carrying those pagers - without exception - were Hezbollah commanders. The brilliance was to severely hamper the chain of command, maybe even destroy it for a good while to come, with one big efficient BANG.
Besides the psychological fear of reactivating that communication network, thousands of these guys are in no condition to command anyone -- except nurses to bring them another @#%^ painkiller.
The effect of that leadership vacuum has yet to unfold. As I understand it, the Hezbollah caste system kept their foot soldiers as brainwashed cannon fodder to blindly follow orders. PLUS the Lebanese are increasingly bitter about Hezbollah ruining their once-prosperous little country. If they are smart, they will take this opportunity to launch a People's Revolution and chase Iran's proxy all the way to Teheran.
My only prayer is that the West will not get in the way of Israel pressing this advantage with a ground action. We have every legal right to clear out the booby traps and invasion tunnels and weapons caches, up to the Litani (like UN Res. 1701 requires).
The story of the exploding pagers is both good and amusing news. One can hope some of the worst terrorists kept the things tucked in the front of their pants. However, as the author says, it is only a tactical victory. Unless things in Iran change drastically, sometime, maybe pretty soon, someone will have to inflict a strategic defeat on Iran by destroying its capability to build an atomic bomb. Whether we or the Israelis do it, it seems like a good idea to finish Hamas and Hezbollah off first, limiting the Iranians ability to strike back.
IMO people are missing the strategic point: All the people carrying those pagers - without exception - were Hezbollah commanders. The brilliance was to severely hamper the chain of command, maybe even destroy it for a good while to come, with one big efficient BANG.
Besides the psychological fear of reactivating that communication network, thousands of these guys are in no condition to command anyone -- except nurses to bring them another @#%^ painkiller.
The effect of that leadership vacuum has yet to unfold. As I understand it, the Hezbollah caste system kept their foot soldiers as brainwashed cannon fodder to blindly follow orders. PLUS the Lebanese are increasingly bitter about Hezbollah ruining their once-prosperous little country. If they are smart, they will take this opportunity to launch a People's Revolution and chase Iran's proxy all the way to Teheran.
My only prayer is that the West will not get in the way of Israel pressing this advantage with a ground action. We have every legal right to clear out the booby traps and invasion tunnels and weapons caches, up to the Litani (like UN Res. 1701 requires).