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Lessons of the Yom Kippur War

(Israel Defense Forces) Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi - The Israel state archives last week released the minutes of cabinet meetings held during the first days of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, revealing the decisions taken by the leadership at the time. In response, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi wrote: "The lessons learned from the war are a constant trauma, an ever-present shadow on the schools of the General Staff." "The intelligence surprise and the feeling of uncertainty that the war brought on serve as important insights for future military achievements, for the understanding of the size of our mission and of the great responsibility placed on us....This is the reason why after 62 years of independence, we continue to enlist every boy and girl. This is the reason why we place our reservists at the core of the army. This is also the reason why they continue to come." "The main lesson from the Yom Kippur War is that we must always have one finger on the pulse, we must never underestimate any enemy, we must be modest in our estimations, we must ask questions, we must cast doubt, we must know that we cannot rely on the success of yesterday, because it is no longer relevant."
2010-10-11 09:25:06
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