PM’S “DEFINITE MAYBE” DECISIONS!
PRIME MINISTER OLMERT – THE ILLUSIVE POLITICIAN
Some of Olmert’s Friends are for it, and Some of Olmert’s Friends are against it, and Olmert is always with his Friends.
February 12, 2008
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
I will never forget a popular comic strip about swamp characters living in a southern swamp, in which the two main characters were Albert the Alligator and Pogo Possum. In one particular war Albert Alligator had drummed up a major war plan for use against enemies of the swamp. In the final frame of the strip, after the war was over, Albert was standing alone in the midst of shallow swamp water, with a bucket for a helmet, and a wooden homemade sword in his hand lifted high toward heaven, loudly proclaiming: “WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND THEY ‘IS’ US!”
I am afraid the current Israeli administration, in its ability to conduct war, is also
its own worst enemy, and is constantly proclaiming military decisions of action in its statements it never lets the IDF carry out. Threats and promises made of direct action in the Gaza
Strip against Hamas, while holding the IDF on a leash at the same time, creates ever growing evidence PM Olmert is afraid to make a decision. However, it is obvious the Jewish public is getting tired of his indecision, which I am persuaded will eventually force him to turn the IDF loose to carry out a major operation in the Gaza Strip. This is not a time to be timid in the face of Islamic fanatics like Hamas, who have always looked upon foes exhibiting weakness as an incentive to smell
the final victory.
Begin IMRA Excerpt
Monday, February 11, 2008
Olmert: IDF has the OK to act, COS Ashkenazi: IDF ready and waiting for Olmert’s OK
Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
Who does one believe?
PM Olmert: “the security establishment has the tools and all of the
necessary confirmations to deal with this threat.” – puts the ball in the
IDF’s court
COS Ashkenazi: “The army is prepared to expand its activity in accordance with the (government’s) decisions that will be made.” – puts the ball in Olmert’s court.]
1) PM: I feel the pain of Sderot
The Jerusalem Post Feb 11, 2008 14:53 | Updated Feb 11, 2008 18:17
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1202730276875&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday expressed solidarity with the plight of the bombarded residents of Sderot and said that he believed “with all his heart” that their situation would eventually improve.
“[Even] here I feel the pain of the residents of Sderot, like I felt the
pain of the residents of Kiryat Shmona, like I felt that pain of the
residents of Beit She’an and like I felt that pain of the residents of
Jerusalem” Olmert said during a visit to the Jewish Museum in Berlin.
“Every city had to deal with such adversity in its time,” he said. “They
justifiably want what everybody else wants – to live in security and without a daily threat.”
“This is not something that can happen in one day,” said Olmert, “the
security establishment has the tools and all of the necessary confirmations to deal with this threat.”
“I believe with all my heart that it will change,” he added.
One did not need to come to Berlin to see that “the Jewish people can have no future without strength.
The future, the faith and the hope can be the foundations of peace.”
“That is what we’re struggling for; that is what we’re fighting for,” Olmert said.
2) Army chief: We’re ready to expand Gaza activity
Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi tells hundreds of senior IDF officers ‘army is
prepared to expand its activity in accordance with the (government’s)
decisions that will be made.’ Southern Command chief: Gaza will soon reach boiling point.
Hanan Greenberg YNET Published: 02.11.08, 21:52 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3505583,00.html
IMRA: The Ashlenazi quote was completed in accordance with Hebrew version of the item: www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-505549,00.html in which it is clear that he is refering to future government decisions ]
“The army is prepared to expand its activity in accordance with the
(government’s) decisions that will be made,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen.
Gabi Ashkenazi said Monday.
On the heels of the harsh criticism cast against the conduct of the
military’s top brass during the Second Lebanon War in the Winograd
Comission’s final report, a determined Ashkenazi told hundreds of senior officers holding the ranked of colonel or higher that “2008 will be filled with security-related challenges, and the army must be ready to face them”.
Referring to the Winograd report’s conclusion that the army’s most
fundamental values had been compromised during the 2006 campaign, the army chief told the officers “I have complete faith in you and in the IDF’s ability to meet the challenges.
“Only we can defend the home and country,” he added.”
Southern Command Chief Major General Yoav Galant, who also addressed the conference, said Gaza would soon reach its boiling point.
Officers who heard his speech said they believed Galant was in favor of launching a large-scale operation in the Strip.
On Sunday Air Force Commander, Brig. Gen. Eliezer Shkedi said during a visit to the Druze village of Julis in the Western Galilee that “the continuing Qassam attacks will at the end of the day obligate us (to carry out) a wide scale operation in the Strip. “Terrorists on the (separation) fence and ongoing rocket fire is intolerable,” he said.
Begin DEBKAfile Reports
DEBKAfile reports: New Hamas tactics greet Israeli force in Gaza early Tuesday. One Israeli soldier slightly wounded
February 12, 2008, 7:40 PM (GMT+02:00)
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Golani brigade, armored forces and reservists raiding Hamas’ missile and terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, Feb. 12, had their first taste of Hamas tactics for blocking a major incursion. An Israeli soldier was slightly wounded.
The Palestinians report casualties. Several were detained.
Driving forward in the northern, central and southern sectors, the Israeli force encountered Hamas opposition on all three fronts from mortars and Qassam missiles designed for the battlefield with a cutoff range of 1 km. The attacks were well-coordinated by a single command.
Hamas had apparently decided to jump the gun on its blocking tactics against a major advance, in order to thwart a potential Israeli plan to seize bridgeheads inside Gaza ahead of substantial ground action.
The government’s nod for a major ground operation to stamp out the Palestinian missile offensive has been held up again
DEBKAfile’s political sources report: Prime minister Ehud Olmert holds a second round of talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin Tuesday, while defense minister Ehud Barak spends the day meeting Turkish political and military leaders
in Ankara. Both are bidding for international intervention to save themselves a hard decision to deploy the Israeli army for effective action to quell Palestinian attacks from Gaza. IDF generals resent this vote of non-confidence in the Israeli military. They say they are only being held back from dealing in earnest with the Palestinians’ Gaza-based offensive by the timorousness of government leaders.
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