Ask kids what they prefer F16 BOMBER or ARMY TANK

Ask kids what they prefer F16 BOMBER or ARMY TANK and 99.9% will go for F16 BOMBER!

This morning, my nephew and his friend – eight years old– were online playing war games for kids.  I asked them what they had been using to destroy their enemies and they both simultaneously screamed F16 BOMBER.  “Why,” I said with baffled expression.  “It’s quick!  It destroys everything!  And it’s fun!” my nephew replied with duh gesture (like he has been attending an American school).

In the last few days, many Israeli spokesmen were interrogated by hard-nosed journalists about the sight of tanks roaring their way into Gaza Strip this weekend whether it was a plan B: the ground invasion or a new plan.  Their replies were no surprise to anyone, of course; “it’s plan B,” said one spokesman.  I am not sure about you, but I simply do not believe that Israel always planned a ground invasion as a necessary second plan of the attack of the Hamas a “terrorist group” as claimed by Israel and America.  I believe those tanks were parked along the borders of Gaza to scare on Hamas.  The failure of air attack aimed at cowering Hamas into surrender shows that the Jewish leadership have once again been seduced by the alluring myth that air-power, with the help of today’s high-tech F16 BOMBERS, can win wars all on its own – and of course at no cost to the pilots.  However, the reality is that the tanks have now been deployed and guess what (the one thing Israel is trying to avoid) they have taken casualties.

One thing that baffles me as I watch this invasion unfold right before my eyes is that why did the Israeli defence study the airpower’s history from WW2 to Vietnam instead of relying on bombers?  But more to the point, this Israeli air strategic failure onslaught on Hamas is not the first time; in 2006 Israeli’s attempt to destroy Hezbollah (sophisticated gorilla group, Middle-East standard) in Lebanon had abortively failed.

Israeli leaders made the similar air-power failure that the Bill Clinton and Tony Blair made in Yugoslavia in 1999.  Clinton and Blair intervened in Yugoslavia’s internal clashes between the government and rebels titled Kosovo Liberation Army without the UN sanction, which makes it illegal.  Since they did not have land forces available to throw out the rebels, Clinton’s and Blair’s merely plan was to carry out three days of massive air onslaughts, but unfortunately, the air attacks went on for 77 days.  And guess who got Clinton and Blair of the hook, Russia.  Russia told the rebels that it will not back them against the Anglo-Americans, which forced the rebel army to evacuate Kosovo.          

I lost count how many days Israel have been bombing Gaza and yet is still barren of decisive result.  So therefore the task of destroying Hamas falls into the hands of Israel’s ground troops – who by the way thought they were merely there as spectators.  The troops are now in Gaza slums infested with hate-fuelled-fighters.