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The Military Solution to Rocket War Works

[Commentary] Michael J. Totten - In early 2006 an Israeli intelligence officer told me, "Missile war will replace terrorist war." He was right. Just a few months later, Hizbullah launched thousands of Katyusha rockets into northern Israel and forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee south toward Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In the Second Lebanon War, south Lebanon was punished much more thoroughly than northern Israel. In Gaza, Hamas ramped up its own rocket war until fed-up Israelis gave Gaza the south Lebanon treatment this past December and January. Now, seven long months later, the rockets out of Gaza have finally stopped. Israelis will no longer put up with indiscriminate attacks on their houses and schools. Many Palestinians in Gaza have likewise had their fill of Hamas' self-destructive campaign of "resistance." A pattern has emerged that should be obvious to anybody. After Israeli soldiers withdraw from occupied territory, Israeli civilians are shot at with rockets from inside that territory. Another pattern has just been made clear. After Israelis shoot back, the rockets stop flying. Rocket war doesn't work, but the military solution to rocket war does.
2009-07-30 06:00:00
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