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Last update - 10:18 23/06/2008 Olmert is the obstacle on the road to Iran By Amir Oren Tags: Samir Kuntar One former general in the Israel Defense Forces made an original proposal this week: If in the swap of the murderer Samir Kuntar for Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser it is possible to learn the abducted soldiers' fate, Kuntar's fate should be decided accordingly. If they are returned alive, he will be returned alive. If they are brought back in coffins, he will also be put to death, on the spot, and his body returned to Lebanon in exchange for their bodies. It was not serious, of course. A state that considers itself enlightened does not behave this way, at least not since it was caught and incriminated in the Bus 300 affair, when a bus was hijacked. The idea reflected the desperation that has taken over the Israeli establishment. It is defeatist, caught up in ethical, political, and legal chains of events, and unable to use the tools available to it. For the Americans or the French, for example, it is important to bring to justice the killers of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri - by conducting an investigation and setting up an international tribunal. Even more potent logic would suggest that since Israel is the direct victim of aggression, it is entitled to take action against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who publicly announced that he ordered the attack on the soldiers. But it is paralyzed. Advertisement When the IDF prepares its plans, it does so with the Supreme Court in mind. The military advocate general, Brigadier General Avihai Mandelblit, recently visited Washington. One of his visits was to the office of U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. At the end of the meeting, Mandelblit and his hosts, U.S. officers, went to the Supreme Court's souvenir shop. At the entrance they ran into Justice Antonin Scalia, who shared with the American officers stories of the wonders of the Israeli Supreme Court, which rips apart the defense establishment with rulings on the separation fence, and much more, not allowing it to operate unhindered. To avoid taking fire from the Supreme Court, even if under Dorit Beinisch's leadership it has been even more attentive to practical security needs than its predecessor, Mandelblit is careful to coordinate his important legal opinions with Attorney General Menachem Mazuz. One of the more important ones concerns the Gaza Strip's status after its evacuation by the IDF and the subsequent takeover by Hamas. Gaza is now considered closer to being an enemy state, like Lebanon regarding Hezbollah, than the territory under Israeli responsibility - the West Bank. This has practical implications on rules of engagement, on authorizing assassinations of senior figures in the Palestinian organizations and of other militants. In the West Bank, the Military Advocate General requires that the IDF first try to arrest fugitives and not rush for the kill. In the Gaza Strip, if the cease-fire is broken, there will be no legal obstacle to targeting Hamas' leaders and to an even more lax interpretation of commanders' military needs in an operation to counter threats to their soldiers' lives. This may affect the next round, which will occur because the trend is not one from war to peace but one of rounds. But for now what counts is that Samson has tired from the battle in Gaza and the Philistines have won this round. Domestically it was seen that Israel enjoyed overwhelming force, and there was the mystique of its intelligence, special forces and air force. Now, what dictates the events are a handful of Palestinian youths who dug a tunnel up to the military position in Kerem Shalom, abducted Gilad Shalit and have managed to prevent his release for two years. This lesson resounds far and wide. If, when it is so near the source of danger, Israel is shown to be hapless, people in Beirut, Damascus and Tehran may conclude that it is possible to challenge Israel and force a difficult reality on it, because the government will fear society's response to the price of the effort to alter such a reality. There was no need for an air force exercise in the eastern Mediterranean, which was reported in the New York Times on Friday (which is to its joy outside Israeli military censorship), to conclude that the air force is capable of flying great distances in large numbers. It has done so in the past, including the strike on PLO headquarters in 1985 in Tunis, and in publicized exercises in Turkey, which borders Iran. The main military challenge in planning an operation is, and has always been, intelligence: The air force needs to know in order to hit. If it has good intelligence and is given realistic targets, nothing too ambitious, it can be relied on to succeed. The real difficulty is not military; it is political. Iran's progress in its nuclear program and the election countdown in Washington may lead the Israeli leadership to conclude that it is best to act in the summer-fall 2008 and not wait for next year. It is from this that a fateful decision stems, and which requires a credible and stable government. There is currently no such government, and proof of this is the triple dispute on hand: over the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, the release of Gilad Shalit, and the deal to let Kuntar go. As long as Ehud Olmert is running the government - someone suspected of felonies in a matter coming closer to an indictment each day - the government is disqualified from making such a decision. So his immediate removal from office is a national necessity as much as an existential one. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Gilad's tale VIDEO: U.S. kids read abducted soldier's story of co-existence. Leaving Torah behind Study finds religion is not very important to American Jews.   1.   Waving away the logistical nightmare in a sentence 10:31  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   2.   here`s a sobering thought for those lusting after an attack 10:39  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   3.   Israel attack Iran? Go for it! 10:55  |  Natallie Durson 23/06/08   4.   Clickfool 11:02  |  TonyL 23/06/08   5.   So That`s Why They Decided to Get Rid of Olmert 11:26  |  Bill Lenner 23/06/08   6.   Hobsons choice, Dear Clickfool 11:57  |  Al Kafir Al Yahudi 23/06/08   7.   clickfool "flying great distances in large numbers" 12:10  |  yirmi 23/06/08   8.   clickfool "the real problem is intelligence.to know what to hit" 12:13  |  yaheskel 23/06/08   9.   clickfool "military planners throughout the world" 12:16  |  meir 23/06/08   10.   clickfool all that is called "risk control" 12:18  |  meir 23/06/08   11.   clickfool "iran is of course totally defenseless" 12:20  |  meir 23/06/08   12.   overtaken by arrogance 12:20  |  ravi 23/06/08   13.   clickfool so you are convinced? 12:22  |  meir 23/06/08   14.   #4 Clickfool and #6 Al Kafir`s response 12:24  |  Johnboy 23/06/08   15.   clickfool "iran has been working on nukes for four years" 12:25  |  meir 23/06/08   16.   clickfool "iran has been working on nukes for four years" 12:25  |  meir 23/06/08   17.   Stopping the mullahs is a necessity 12:27  |  Jonathan S 23/06/08   18.   natllie.... entertaining...? 12:31  |  ravi 23/06/08   19.   so amir oren tells us there is no problem in doing iran 12:39  |  meir 23/06/08   20.   For Tony L # 4 12:40  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   21.   Can you not see the truth, Al Kafir Al Yahudi? # 6 12:44  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   22.   Meir - another trading style for Harzion/Yashekel etc 12:48  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   23.   Removing the threat 12:53  |  Long term philosophy 23/06/08   24.   johnboy "no matter how successful the raid might be" 13:11  |  yair 23/06/08   25.   johnboy "mine is bigger then yours" 13:14  |  yair 23/06/08   26.   johnboy "coz all israel can do is delay them" 13:17  |  yair 23/06/08   27.   johnboy were you the one yesterday who said 13:21  |  yair 23/06/08   28.   # 10 meir 13:30  |  Axel 23/06/08   29.   If I was Iranian 13:36  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/06/08   30.   And now we have "Yair"..... 13:38  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   31.   20 clickfool 13:39  |  zionist 23/06/08   32.   NO MATTER HOW STUPID OLMERT IS (2ND TRY, EDITED) 13:42  |  indrajaya 23/06/08   33.   For all the wrong reasons I think it`s better be done! 13:45  |  Davoud 23/06/08   34.   axel the war in lebanon was won by us 13:50  |  meir 23/06/08   35.   Click the Bloody Fool-Notice given 13:50  |  GABE1 23/06/08   36.   axel did you know that the dahiya suburb of beirut 13:54  |  meir 23/06/08   37.   John boy with emphasis on BOY 13:54  |  GABE1 23/06/08   38.   For all the wrong reasons I think it`s better be done! 2 13:56  |  Davoud 23/06/08   39.   clickfool we await more fun posts from you 13:57  |  yair 23/06/08   40.   Natalie in LALA LAND both....... 13:57  |  GABE1 23/06/08   41.   yair yeheskel harzion -a question 13:58  |  yirmi2 23/06/08   42.   axel notice the confidence of the jews 14:05  |  erwin honigstein 23/06/08   43.   For all the wrong reasons I think it`s better be done! 14:07  |  Davoud 23/06/08   44.   Axel #28 can only judge a victory by Dresden standards. 14:14  |  MR 23/06/08   45.   to ehud olmert 14:15  |  yair 23/06/08   46.   What suicidal fools Israelis are 14:21  |  spyguy 23/06/08   47.   to ehud olmert 14:23  |  yair 23/06/08   48.   Natallie Durson #3 14:34  |  Phil Morris 23/06/08   49.   # 34 meir 14:41  |  Axel 23/06/08   50.   axel "choking fit" 14:50  |  meir 23/06/08   51.   to ehud olmert 15:06  |  yair 23/06/08   52.   attack on Iran 15:19  |  Arie Heide 23/06/08   53.   Spyguy 15:27  |  Neal 23/06/08   54.   millions will die 15:28  |  matt 23/06/08   55.   "The idea reflected the desperation that has taken over... 15:58  |  Jew- and Bookburner 23/06/08   56.   Clickfool # 2. 16:01  |  David Nigel Braham 23/06/08   57.   Israel is going to wipe itself off the map 16:05  |  noor 23/06/08   58.   Matt-israel doesnt care if innocents die 16:08  |  noor 23/06/08   59.   phil morris-she didnt mean that statement that way 16:11  |  noor 23/06/08   60.   meir- i know this makes you sad, but iran has the right.... 16:16  |  noor 23/06/08   61.   Germany must prevent a Polish Attack! 16:17  |  Mark Lincoln 23/06/08   62.   # 61 mark "Germany must prevent a Polish invasion" 16:34  |  Axel 23/06/08   63.   Matt @54 16:42  |  GABE1 23/06/08   64.   NOOR the idea is to prevent your brothers wiping it off 16:43  |  PETER SM 23/06/08   65.   Enough of nonsense 16:44  |  Lisa 23/06/08   66.   #14 Johnboy 16:58  |  Al Kafir Al Yahudi 23/06/08   67.   Attack Iran 16:59  |  johnjf 23/06/08   68.   Summer is much better 17:09  |  Harvey (Chaim) 23/06/08   69.   #32 - Indrajaya 17:12  |  Maurice 23/06/08   70.   AXEL/LINCOLN I do not remember Poland threatenning or fighting a 17:16  |  PETER SM 23/06/08   71.   Dr.A.`s prediction will come true! israel has a secret suicidal 17:27  |  lakshmi 23/06/08   72.   #62 Axel ant the idiots who start wars 17:29  |  MR 23/06/08   73.   Clickfool 17:44  |  canadian 23/06/08   74.   Fortunately, Israel will not attack Iran, with or without Olmert 17:46  |  Tosefta 23/06/08   75.   # 69, MAURICE 17:46  |  indrajaya 23/06/08   76.   How Israel can deal with the Iranian threat 17:47  |  Tosefta 23/06/08   77.   For Canadian # 73 17:58  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   78.   # 74, TOSEFTA 17:59  |  indrajaya 23/06/08   79.   #39, Gabe... 18:06  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   80.   NOOR-3rd try-Haaretz???? 18:07  |  GABE1 23/06/08   81.   PETER SM, no wonder you speak like that 18:08  |  noor 23/06/08   82.   Silvienne-A REply to #79 18:16  |  GABE1 23/06/08   83.   33 former Iran resident confirms its rulers are crazy fanatics 18:16  |  Realist 23/06/08   84.   Axel @62 -4th reply 18:18  |  GABE1 23/06/08   85.   I just want to remind Amir Oran that blood of a lot of... 18:19  |  ManintheMiddle 23/06/08   86.   Point is to get the US to do it 18:25  |  Colin Wright 23/06/08   87.   Israel`s empty threats push oil price up. Iran makes extra $ 18:31  |  Aounist 23/06/08   88.   Thinking about that exercise some more 18:34  |  Colin Wright 23/06/08   89.   Click the Bloody Fool @77 18:40  |  GABE1 23/06/08   90.   Colin Wright @88 18:47  |  GABE1 23/06/08   91.   Tossi Fetta @74 18:54  |  GABE1 23/06/08   92.   axel from germany lectures us on wars 19:22  |  erwin honigstein 23/06/08   93.   For MR and Gabe1 #72 #84 19:23  |  Jonathan S 23/06/08   94.   As Peter SM has chosen to challange history 19:26  |  Mark Lincoln 23/06/08   95.   # 72 mr 19:27  |  Axel 23/06/08   96.   bones for bones, life for life. otherwise rot in jail 19:29  |  ralph 23/06/08   97.   #82, Gabe... 19:31  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   98.   # 84 gabe 19:31  |  Axel 23/06/08   99.   #89, Gabe... 19:33  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   100.   Nothing but wishful thinking, Gabe # 89 19:35  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   101.   #90, Gabe... 19:36  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   102.   #92....the war has been over for 60 years.... 19:40  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   103.   Tosefta - what the god`s give, they can take away 19:41  |  Mark Lincoln 23/06/08   104.   #100, Clickfool... 19:42  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   105.   # #89 gabe 19:54  |  Axel 23/06/08   106.   The problem Tosefta 19:54  |  Mark Lincoln 23/06/08   107.   # 104 silvienne 19:58  |  Axel 23/06/08   108.   axel from the present you can teach us about laundry 20:01  |  erwin honigstein 23/06/08   109.   Gabe, by supporting a nuke war, YOU ARE A DONKEY! 20:05  |  noor 23/06/08   110.   # 92 erwin 20:05  |  Axel 23/06/08   111.   axel we have a lot to sell 20:06  |  erwin honigstein 23/06/08   112.   What are you on, Gabe? # 90 20:08  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   113.   For Mark Lincoln # 106 20:11  |  Clickfool 23/06/08   114.   Tosefta - the differences between the US and Israel 20:12  |  Mark Lincoln 23/06/08   115.   # 108 erwin 20:16  |  Axel 23/06/08   116.   axel you astonish me by your post 110 20:16  |  erwin honigstein 23/06/08   117.   Axel #98 20:18  |  GABE1 23/06/08   118.   Silvienne @100 20:20  |  GABE1 23/06/08   119.   The main event 20:20  |  TonyL 23/06/08   120.   Click the Bloody Fool @100 20:24  |  GABE1 23/06/08   121.   Silvienne @101 20:26  |  GABE1 23/06/08   122.   Noor @109 20:33  |  GABE1 23/06/08   123.   62# Mark Lincoln fable understanding& Iran the Bankrupcy of Islam 20:33  |  Akram Zekaria 23/06/08   124.   Clicky the Bloody Fool @112 20:39  |  GABE1 23/06/08   125.   #3, Durson, the Obama supporter 20:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/06/08   126.   113# Clickfool you must be a real fool . 21:24  |  Akram Zekaria 23/06/08   127.   # 3 Well, Fatmah, in any event your philistines... 21:32  |  misha 23/06/08   128.   iranian attack 21:54  |  dano 23/06/08   129.   #107, Axel... 22:10  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   130.   #118, Gabe... 22:13  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   131.   HAHAHA GABE......omg what a moron 22:15  |  noor 23/06/08   132.   #120, Gabe... 22:17  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   133.   Mark Lincoln 22:17  |  TonyL 23/06/08   134.   LOOK AT THIS GABE 22:18  |  noor 23/06/08   135.   #90, Gabe... 22:20  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   136.   Gabe: the human shields topic is too big 4 u 2 understand 22:23  |  noor 23/06/08   137.   Does the oil market have an Iran attack "factored in"?? 22:32  |  Voice of Reason 23/06/08   138.   #128, noor to Gabe... 22:35  |  Silvienne 23/06/08   139.   hit iran NOW 22:51  |  Barry Small 23/06/08   140.   #135, Voice of Reason 22:58  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/06/08   141.   Noor @135 23:22  |  GABE1 23/06/08   142.   #115 Alex Haaretz, Second Try 23:26  |  MR 23/06/08   143.   Silvienne 23:27  |  GABE1 23/06/08   144.   thank you silvienne 23:31  |  noor 23/06/08   145.   BARRY SMALL, go draft yourself for the war then 23:32  |  noor 23/06/08   146.   #133, Tony L 23:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/06/08   147.   Sorry to disappoint you, but I have got the information from 23:39  |  Andreas 23/06/08   148.   #139...A coward Hiding in Palm Beach...Barking 00:09  |  ali 24/06/08   149.   What was the use of the Israeli exercise? 01:02  |  Oetis 24/06/08   150.   Israeli action on Iran 01:03  |  J.B.W. 24/06/08   151.   only hitting is the zionist head against wall 01:07  |  soloman 24/06/08   152.   Why does Iran do it 01:09  |  sabra 24/06/08   153.   Iran is not a threath for Israel 01:12  |  Edith 24/06/08   154.   Russia and Ukraina support Israeli attack 01:23  |  Rasposkij 24/06/08   155.   Silvienne #135 01:49  |  GABE1 24/06/08   156.   Futures markets all UP ... 01:57  |  spyugy 24/06/08   157.   .....and more threats from the greatest threat. 02:09  |  Gray 24/06/08   158.   #66 Iran is not rationale? 02:16  |  Johnboy 24/06/08   159.   Don`t think Small! 02:36  |  Cyrus the Great 24/06/08   160.   #2, Clickfool`s Gut Feelings/Opinions 02:49  |  Gary 24/06/08   161.   Silvienne 130 & 132 03:21  |  GABE1 24/06/08   162.   Differences between Israel and the US 03:33  |  Tosefta 24/06/08   163.   #23 Israel has already eliminated Iranian scientists! 03:44  |  Maureen Ann 24/06/08   164.   NOOR AHMADINEJAD leads the mob in "DEATH TO ISRAEL" chants 03:44  |  PETER SM 24/06/08   165.   it will be the EU in a surprise attack 03:54  |  natan 24/06/08   166.   but there IS no israeli attack iran... 05:32  |  eric 24/06/08   167.   Differences between Israel and the US (Mark Lincoln #114) 05:37  |  Tosefta 24/06/08   168.   Noor 05:50  |  X` 24/06/08   169.   #115 Axel - Haaretz, FOURTH try 06:08  |  MR 24/06/08   170.   MLINCOLN Some non-selective,non-self serving history for you 07:13  |  PETER SM 24/06/08   171.   Find X`s logic! 08:11  |  Cyrus the Great 24/06/08   172.   stagnant and putrid Jew bashers/Israel haters 08:24  |  yby 24/06/08   173.   #169, MR, exactly 08:38  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/06/08   174.   # 153 to edith in belgium re: well said... 08:49  |  eric 24/06/08   175.   PETER SM and chants 08:51  |  Malka Leifer 24/06/08   176.   OLMERT THE CROOK 09:07  |  PalestniansAreA Myth 24/06/08   177.   For Gary # 160 09:19  |  Clickfool 24/06/08   178.   MY IDEA FROM MANY POSTS 20:29  |  Neil Golan 24/06/08

Read & React Barak orders Gaza crossings sealed in response to Qassams Responses: 52 Rosner's Guest: Israel was wrong on Hezbollah war, wrong on Gaza restraint Responses: 12 Attempted coup splits Hamas military wing in two Responses: 29 Cabinet set to vote on Hezbollah deal, but PM stance uncertain Responses: 5 Yossi Melman: Israel's spymasters are bullying the families of abducted soldiers Responses: 7 More Headlines 15:22 Top Saudi official: Ball in Israel's court if it wants peace with us 14:27 Jihad threatens to continue rocket attacks, despite truce 14:55 Seal swap deal or price will rise, says Hezbollah-linked daily 11:23 Olmert and Barak strike deal to salvage coalition 14:24 'Attack on Paris Jewish teen may be linked to ongoing gang feud' 13:55 Ben Gurion Airport stages mass aviation disaster drill 15:18 IDF Chief: Don't halt process declare Hezbollah abductees as fallen 05:54 Who will defend ultra-Orthodox women's labor rights? 08:42 Negotiator heading back to Cairo for indirect talks on Shalit 08:46 Attempted coup splits Hamas military wing in two 09:11 Baby switch cost Jerusalem hospital NIS 2 million Previous Editions Select Day 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun

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