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Originally Posted by pj67coll
And given the incompetence of Russian pilots and Syrian land forces would the result would likely not be to their advantage.
- Peter.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dynalow
IIRC, Syria just felt the wrath of Israeli power. Me for one don't think they'll step up for another helping.
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I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Syrian infantry. After all, this was the mistake that Israel made in '06 with Hezbullah, as it turned out they were very competent in regards to unconventional warfare. In a very uncharacteristic move, Israel decided to fight the '06 war via conventional warfare by setting up a defined front.. warning Lebanese citizens on CNN: "Everyone south of the Litani should get the hell out". This practice of choosing aerial raids, opting for special operations only towards the very end by injecting SF's deep into enemy territory... has been labeled by many as THE mistake. From what I have gathered, Israel should have placed many more SF troops (I believe they have abundant numbers in this respect) deep into enemy territory and have them attack strategic points, while their mechanized "engineering" forces moved north from Israel. The Air Force should have been utilized only to provide ground support, as is the practice of US forces.
In regards to the whole ME issue, I think General Petraeus has the right idea when he argues that the long-term solution is not overwhelming military force, but rather forceful diplomacy and the creation of Western-friendly social structures that need to be built from the ground-up. I BELIEVE THE US IS SUCCEEDING HERE. The reason why Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Sadr's armies are so powerful is due to the amount of support they have showed to their respective populations... this is obvious. General Petraeus has noted that we need to take care of basic life necessities for these people before they will start showing us any respect. I think he's on to something...