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Source: http://www.sfgate.com/
Israel Set War Plan More than a Year Ago
[San Francisco Chronicle] Matthew Kalman - "Of all of Israel's wars since 1948, this was the one for which Israel was most prepared," said Gerald Steinberg, professor of political science at Bar-Ilan University. "In a sense, the preparation began in May 2000, immediately after the Israeli withdrawal, when it became clear the international community was not going to prevent Hizballah from stockpiling missiles and attacking Israel. By 2004, the military campaign scheduled to last about three weeks that we're seeing now had already been blocked out and, in the last year or two, it's been simulated and rehearsed across the board." There are two ways to deal with this challenge, said Eran Lerman, a former colonel in Israeli military intelligence who is now director of the Jerusalem office of the American Jewish Committee. "One is the air power school of thought, the other is the land-borne option....The air force concept is very methodical and almost by definition is slower to get results. A ground invasion...is quicker, but at a much higher cost in human life and requiring the creation of a presence on the ground." "A big invasion is not suitable here," said Moshe Marzuk, a former head of the Lebanon desk for Israeli Military Intelligence who now is a researcher at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya. "We are not fighting an army, but guerrillas. It would be a mistake to enter and expose ourselves to fighters who will hide, fire off a missile, and run away. If we are to be on the ground at all, we need to use commandos and special forces."