And they only got that chance to fight the Arabs cause other people’s militaries and power, saved the Jews in WWII. The Jews don’t have a very long martial history, or if they do, they’ve reformed most of it. They aren’t Spartans and if they were, the Palesitnians would not be fighting the Jews anymore.

The Spartans would have burned every town near the Northern Israeli border with fire bombing, aka phosphorous and napalm ingredients, so that there would be miles of no man zone. They wouldn’t be talking, in the media, about whether he did or did not use phosphorous, they would begging the Spartans to stop, and offering up everything from cows, lambs, to their second born as way of appeasement.

Ooo, white phosphorous, Israelis must be bad arse. Give me a break. America is using like 10% of our maximal core strength, and Israel is even using less cause they got less excuses for punitive expeditions with their casualties.

If the entire Israeli nation started fighting like Spartans, the Palestinian problem would be solved, for all time. So don’t try talking about Israel as if they are “hardcore” in war. Cause they aren’t.

The IDF supplied a statement, saying that under international law the usage of phosphorous is permitted and that it conforms to international regulations and standards.

The IDF should have told people,

“Pock off, international jokers, for every complaint you make against the IDF, we’ll use 100 more phosphorous bombs on targets of our choosing. So keep talking”

That’s war to the knife. Israelis aren’t fighting a war to the knife, just like Bush ain’t doing Total War.

Oversimplified propaganda. If all they were doing is defending themselves, I wonder how they get themselves into situations like this:

Israel admits using phosphorous bombs in Lebanon PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY
AM - Tuesday, 24 October , 2006 08:24:00
Reporter: David Hardaker
TONY EASTLEY: Israel has admitted for the first time that it did use controversial phosphorous bombs during its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. White phosphorous causes highly painful chemical burns, and until recently Israel had maintained that it used phosphorous only to mark out targets or territory.

As Middle East Correspondent David Hardaker reports, the admission has led one Israeli parliamentarian to say Israel should be tried for war crimes.

DAVID HARDAKER: It’s been literally a burning question left over from Israel’s war in Lebanon. Did Israeli forces use phosphorous bombs on civilians?

SHABTAIN GOLD: Phosphorous is a weapon that’s limited and controlled by international law, and it should never been used in areas of civilian populations, it certainly should never be used against civilians.

DAVID HARDAKER: Shabtai Gold is the Jerusalem based spokesman for Physicians for Human Rights.

SHABTAIN GOLD: The wounds are very specific, they usually create tremendous burns, which don’t go out at all. First people have to be dunked in water, when the skin dries, it can again erupt into flames. And therefore it’s a very, very, very cruel and unusual weapon to be using against civilians.

DAVID HARDAKER: In Lebanon, there were reports of civilians being treated for injuries, which doctors claimed were consistent with being hit by white phosphorous. Israel though, maintains it only used prosperous as a way of marking out targets.

But a different story has now emerged. And Israeli Government Minister Jacob Edery has confirmed that Israeli Army used phosphorous bombs to attack, what he said were military targets in open ground.

ZAHAVA GAL-ON: I’m concerned because I think that although we are fighting against each other, there are some limits that we have to put during the war.

DAVID HARDAKER: Zahava Gal-On is a member of the Israeli Parliament representing the left-wing Meretz party. It was her question, which brought the admission.

ZAHAVA GAL-ON: They are weapons that I can’t accept because of their effect on the people there, on the civilians.

DAVID HARDAKER: Were you surprised that the answer that you received?

ZAHAVA GAL-ON: Yeah, actually, I was amazed, I was astonished, because I thought that I will ask them and they will answer, no, it’s nonsense, don’t believe international newspapers, it’s nonsense.

DAVID HARDAKER: The answer was that yes, phosphorous is used, but on military targets in open ground. In other words not in, say, a high-density building.

ZAHAVA GAL-ON: Well, it’s very difficult to differentiate, sometimes within military targets and civilian targets, because the war was in an area that there were also civilians.

DAVID HARDAKER: If the IDF has actually injured civilians with phosphorous, is that a war crime, in your view?

ZAHAVA GAL-ON: Well, in my view, yes. It’s a war crime, although they thought they are using it against military targets. But if people were injured, I can consider it as a war crime.

DAVID HARDAKER: The Israeli Defence Forces declined our offer of an interview to clarify precisely where it had used phosphorous bombs and how it could be sure civilians weren’t hit.

The IDF supplied a statement, saying that under international law the usage of phosphorous is permitted and that it conforms to international regulations and standards.

White phosphorous weapons aren’t forbidden by international law, but the Geneva Conventions ban their use against civilians or in civilian areas. Some human rights groups believe they should be reclassified as chemical weapons and banned.

TONY EASTLEY: Middle East Correspondent David Hardaker.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1772187.htm

Ripping bandaids off is painful? What exactly are you talking about, Bookworm ; )

There’s more, but the point seems to be that NATO has figured out that you don’t win a war against a determined enemy by dropping a desultory bomb or two on a mule.

It isn’t NATO. It is the Americans and the British and other folks and molks who agreed together to fight together with what they got, hang NATO promises.

And just to keep the dead Talibani’s voluntary appearance on the battlefield in perspective, remember that the Taliban worked closely with Al Qaeda in 2001, not to kill soldiers in a declared war, but to massacre as many American civilians as possible.

You don’t have to convince me that the Taliban are our enemies. I have no sympathy for folks living in the stone age, not only by necessity but by choice.