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What Israel Has Done for the U.S. Lately

[Jerusalem Post] Brig.-Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser - Many pundits in Washington, among them supporters of Israel, anticipated better results from the month-long war against Hizballah. They were hoping for Israel to put Iran and Syria on the defensive by using IDF military might to eradicate Hizballah much faster. Some have already concluded that this was an opportunity squandered. The truth is that for the last month Israel has been fighting a ruthless, well-armed and well-trained, albeit small, army that has spent the last six years preparing for this war while we have been busy on many other fronts. Nevertheless, those who are disappointed with the results should consider a list of dividends America has received from Israel's campaign: First and foremost, Israel has sent a loud and clear message that any terrorist entity that carries out an act of aggression will pay a heavy price. Moreover, we have proven that a "spoiled" Western society, as Hizballah perceived Israel, can withstand barrages of rocket-fire on its civilians and still maintain an unfaltering resolution to stand up and fight. Second, we created the necessary conditions to compel the international community to take long-overdue measures to implement earlier UN resolutions that the free world hopes will ultimately turn Lebanon into an accountable, sovereign nation. Third, we helped people across the globe understand the extent of the threat that Iranian radicalism poses to the entire free world, and why it is so important to prevent it from becoming a nuclear power. Fourth, we exposed Syria's role in supporting terror - both by facilitating the transport of Iranian weapons to Hizballah, and by supplying its own heavy, long-range rockets and other weaponry to this terror organization. Fifth, we have shown how irresponsible the Russians were in supplying Syria with state-of-the-art weapons that have ended up in the hands of Hizballah. The writer is former head of IDF Military Intelligence's research department.
2006-08-14 01:00:00
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