Reply #22: The IDF was quite restrained in the first round. [View All]

Yes, I said restrained. Considering the amount of ordinance fired, the loss of life among non-combatants was amazingly low. They really did try to minimize casualties. If they had not, WIA/KIA civilians would have been in the 10s of 1000s.

The IDF was expected to flatten Hezbollah, and clearly they could have. It would have meant scorched earth to the Litani and into the Bekaa Valley. Instead they tried to take a limited approach, chiefly air power. However, you can not root out local militias defending their own terrain that way. Hezbollah was left standing but bleeding and in that part of the world, if you are alive you won the fight, especially against Israel. Syria still considers the 1973 war a victory...even though without super power intervention, Israeli armor would have been in Damascus. Welcome to the wacky world of ME politics.

With Iran and Syria continuing to funnel arms and funds to Hezbollah. The Lebanese government is trapped. If they allow anything to interfere with the resupply of Hezbollah, Syria blocks their only land access. If they do not, Hezbolloah will rearm and go at it with the IDF again. In all cases the French lead UNIFIL is useless and is not going to do anything.

Call me a cynic, but IMO the UN redefined 1701 to the point of uselessness and has condemned the Lebanese people to another round of terror. This time Syria, who is feeling pretty spunky right now, may roll in. The right answer was to disarm Hezbollah and to help Lebanon gain control of its territory and border. Unfortunately, it does not look like that is going to happen.