Reading Debkafile is a mixed pleasure. You never know where the reality starts and the pure fantasy begins with these people, and that is on top of the team being clearly partisan and peppering what is supposed to be reporting with own political agenda.

So, reading this article, I had to apply all available filters, and even after this, the picture is pretty grim. If even a part of what it says is true, it appears that the upcoming (hopefully) commission of inquiry has to investigate not only the internal decision making by our government and IDF top brass, but also the state of absolute dependency on, let us say it straight, a less than brilliant team residing currently in the White House.

The article starts with a reference to a curious spate of calls by some ministers (Amir Peretz, defense, Tzipi Livni, foreign affairs and Avi Ditcher, internal security - at least two of them knowing a thing or two about security) for a negotiations with Syria and a possibility to trade the Golan Heights for peace with Syria and Lebanon. The explanation is coming at the end of the article:

It appears that Condoleezza Rice was not exactly happy with the way the war turned out, nor with the failure of diplomacy to bring Lebanon’s hostilities to a satisfactory conclusion or even to deploy an effective multinational force to stabilize South Lebanon. She therefore decided to explore the chances of luring Bashar Assad away from the Iranian fold. This is a tentative idea which has not ripened into a policy - much less gained a White House go-ahead. But as soon as word was leaked to Jerusalem, several Israeli ministers jumped aboard - Peretz first, followed by Livni, who there and then created a Syrian Project Desk at the foreign ministry, the education minister, Yuli Tamir and finally, on Monday, Dichter.

Still, this is from the realm of Machiavellian and happens all the time with politicians. While the end result is some egg on some faces, the story could be regarded as another failed attempt to put a feeler out in the direction of Damascus. The answer to this attempt is known - a series of battle cries (or rather battle squeaks in this case) by baby Assad, here is the latest.

The rest of the article, however, is dealing with deadly matters. It paints a picture of a decision-making process that created a disastrous mix of an army unprepared to the war with politicians dancing to the music hastily composed in the White House, with several composers disagreeing one with another. It paints a picture of total subservience to the masters who are unable to make up their own minds, with the servants asking only “how high?” when the masters suggested another jump in a new direction.

I wouldn’t quote too much of the article, it is worth a read whether you believe it or not. But the bottom line is:

Olmert’s absolute compliance with Rice’s directives without fully comprehending their military import threw Israel’s entire war campaign into disorder.

The article may as well be just a part of the usual blame game or a fallout of some internal politics. However, even if partly true, the whole failure requires a good look at Israeli “independence” and ability to do what is good for us even if some of our friends in Washington may be pissed off. It also reminds the good old “כבדהו וחשדהו” (respect and suspect).

Cross-posted on SimplyJews

Just when I thought I’d won the Charcoal vs. Gas argument…

AP: Israeli president grilled again over sex claims

Grilled over sex claims?

*sigh* I’m going to need a bigger grill.

So, about that disarming Hezbullah thing: Looks like nobody wants to do it. UNIFIL says it’s not in their mandate. The Lebanese Prime Minister Syrian Sock Puppet says UNIFIL shouldn’t be doing it, anyway, only the Lebanese army (try not to laugh now) can disarm Hezbullah. Say, wanna bet the Lebanese Army folds Hezbullah into their organization, thus “disarming” it?

“It’s clear that the Lebanese army will carry out this mission,” the Lebanese leader said in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
“The multinational force is not supposed to do that and should not bother itself with it. Hizbullah is a political party represented in the government and it agreed to the seven-point plan presented to the UN by the Lebanese government.”

Let’s start a pool now.

Syria tells the UN not to come near its border: Yeah, they’d see the weapons smuggling first-hand. But Baby Assad is slipping. Doesn’t he realize the UN will turn a blind eye to the smuggling?

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Syria on Wednesday opposed deployment of an international force along its border to prevent arms shipments to Hezbollah, and Israel called the situation in Lebanon “explosive.” A cease-fire was further shaken by artillery shells and explosions that killed three Lebanese soldiers and an Israeli.

Syria has been emboldened by the fact that it sent weapons into Lebanon to its proxy army, killed Israelis without punishment, and effectively attacked Israel with impunity. Say, Ehud, whattya say to that?

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert toured northern Israel Thursday and visited, among other venues, the hospital in Nahariya directly hit by rocket fire during the Lebanon war.

“We must be prepared for (various) scenarios and ready for anything,” he said. “We must push forward deadlines and be ready for the possibility of receiving casualties under all conditions.”

During his visit, Olmert examined the hospital’s fourth floor, which sustained the most damage in the rocket attack. The prime minister observed Lebanon through the giant hole in the wall, which has not yet been renovated, and said: “We must be protected and ready.”

Anyone else out there not buying it?

Oh, wait. The U.S. says they’re ignoring Syria’s complaints.

WASHINGTON - The White House said on Wednesday that it intends to ignore Syria ’s threat to close its border with Lebanon if United Nations peacekeepers are stationed there to prevent arms shipments to Hizbullah.

Okay, now that’s funny. The Dorktator, given an international wedgie by the football team. Gotta love it.

I know! Let’s give Lebanon to Mikey: Nobody wants to be a part of the peacekeeping force, not even France, who fought hard for the bogus cease-fire that left Hezbullah nearly fully-formed.

BRUSSELS, Belgium Aug 24, 2006 (AP)— Italy, which has offered to send the largest contingent, made a plea Wednesday for more European troops to an expanded U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

Premier Romano Prodi expressed frustration over the efforts to raise the force mandated by a U.N. resolution that ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

“It’s unthinkable that we would be there alone, and we have been working to strengthen the quantitative and international aspect of the mission in Lebanon,” Prodi told reporters at the Tuscan seaside resort of Castiglione della Pescaia, where he has been vacationing.

Someone needs to explain to me again about how the UN and the world bodies can solve the problems of the Middle East. How many mistakes can they make on this one? They force a cease-fire plan in that does not disarm the offending party. They offer up a peacekeeping force that has no ability to keep the peace because they can’t fire their weapons. And then, of course, nobody wants to put their people in the middle of a war zone to be sitting ducks and cover for terrorists.

Apparently, all the UN can do effectively is condemn Israel and block the U.S. from doing its job.

You know you’re doing your job when they hate you: Hezbullah says Tony Blair isn’t welcome in Beirut. Well, you’re not welcome in London, so there.