Posted by
AA Bruzzone on Thursday, July 27, 2006 12:29:03 AM
I've
spent some time in Saudi Arabia. I learned that history moves slowly
in the Middle East. And, like the scorching desert temperatures,
political tensions are brutal. Weakness, perceived or real, leads to
opportunism by adversaries. Military defense is ineffective unless
fierce, relentless, and unexpected.
Israel
has successfully defended itself several times based on this principle,
and is doing it again in Lebanon against Hizbollah for the world to
see. America especially must take note.
First some background.
Three
events led Israel's enemies to perceive the country as weakened: The
sudden disabling stroke of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and his
subsequent coma, convinced Israel's enemies, Iran and Syria, that the
country's leadership had been weakened. Second, Israel, unilaterally
abandoned the Gaza Strip and appeared ready to leave the West Bank
which it acquired through the 1967 Six Day War. Finally, the new Prime
Minister, Ehud Olmert is an unknown, untested, and was suddenly thrust
into a leadership position. More important, Olmert is part of a new
generation of Israelis, He is not an European immigrant. He was born
near Binyamina in the British Mandate of Palestine. Israel's
adversaries viewed his generation as tired of war and unable to endure
moral and military will to defend itself like the past generation - a
generation of respected and feared leaders like Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak
Rabin, Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, and Ariel Sharon.
For
months, the world has had to endure the anti-Semitic ramblings of
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his rush towards nuclear capability.
Israel has watched the world's leaders debate what is to be done.
For
Israel, time had run out. It was time to show the world the future.
For Israel, it was simple. Iran and Syria would use surrogates to
accomplish what they could never achieve in conventional warfare. They
had already armed Hizbollah with Katyusha multiple rocket launchers,
Zelzal-2 missile systems, and Raad 1 missiles. Add nuclear warheads,
and the next generation of Iranian (or North Korean) missile systems,
and it was clear that the Iranian leadership would enact its stated
goal of eliminating Israel once and for all.
A
border dispute was a prelude to the 1967 Six Day War. Israel and Syria
exchanged artillery, tank and aircraft fire, increasing tensions. The
Israeli government was under heavy pressure to put an end to Syrian
shellings of border villages. As the political situation deteriorated,
and Arab nations prepared to attack, Israel launched a devastating
surprise preemptive strike. So it was in the present situation.
The
Iranian-Syrian surrogate, Hizbollah, has admitted that they never
envisioned a simple cross- border kidnapping would have unleashed
Israel's "disproportionate response". They miscalculated terribly -
misperceived weakness and response, described above,
Israel
needed to show the world the future. By inducing Hizbollah to use
their rockets, they gave the world a preview of the future. Plain and
simple, Iran, when fully nuclear capable, will directly or indirectly
use nuclear weapons to destroy Israel. Israel has responded with a
very simple message: Using Lebanon as an illustration, Israel showed
the world that if that time comes, it will destroy the capitals of
Syria, Iran and any other Arab nation that supports surrogates like
Hizbollah and Hamas. Lebanon tolerated Hizbollah, so Lebanon paid the
consequence. If Israel is attacked, Teheran and Damascus will be no
more.
By
engaging in what has been labeled "disproportionate response", Israel
has made clear, there will be no limits to its response. This is
deterrence. It was deterrence that prevented a U.S.-Soviet nuclear
confrontation.
France
understands the threat, and the power of deterrence. Earlier this year,
President Jacques Chirac said that France was prepared to launch a
nuclear strike against any country that sponsors a terrorist attack
against French interests. He said his country's nuclear arsenal had
been reconfigured to include the ability to make a tactical strike in
retaliation for terrorism.
Further,
through its present response, Israel has made clear that it will not
wait for Iran to acquire a nuclear capability. If the world's leaders
cannot stop the Iranian nuclear buildup, then Israel will most
certainly, whatever the consequences.
It
is now time for America and its allies to act. First, Iran must never
acquire nuclear capability until there is a clear regime change. But
more important, It is time for America to set out the consequences of a
nuclear or chemical attack on this country. Israel has struck back.
The U.S. must make clear what will be the consequences if a nation or
its surrogates strikes this country. The targets must be stated in no
uncertain terms. If France has reconfigured its nuclear arsenal, then
so should this country.
Only
transparent deterrence will prevent the bloodthirsty psychopaths that
make up the world's terrorist network from attacking the United
States. Israel has taught the world the one and only way to deal with
terrorists, and the nation's that supply and support terrorists.