4 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Great article from a US general who visited Gaza. "one thing is certain—the IDF’s motivation, professionalism and commitment to upholding the laws of armed conflict while mitigating the loss of life to civilians."

 

On The Ground In Gaza: The Reality Of Israel’s Military Operations

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davedeptula/2024/07/31/on-the-ground-in-gaza-the-reality-of-israels-military-operations/

 

His characterization of the IDF's record on enforcement of justice shows where he's coming from:

 

"In those cases where there are questions of misconduct or errors in the application of military force, these issues are investigated by a judicial arm of the IDF. In fact, such investigations are currently underway in Israel by a judicial arm that is separate from the military chain of command, causing widespread debates across the Jewish nation. Legal action is imminent."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davedeptula/2024/07/31/on-the-ground-in-gaza-what-i-saw-of-israels-military-operations/

The IDF's record in investigating soldiers accused of crimes is notoriously bad.

 

How Israel's military investigates itself in cases of possible wrongdoing

After years of collecting evidence to assist the IDF in its investigations, though, Michaeli says B'Tselem rarely saw any of its cases move past the initial investigative stage. "We did that for many years and ultimately reached the conclusion that it was pointless," says Michaeli, "that regardless of what we did, there was always the same result: no accountability."...

"We reached the conclusion that continuing to refer cases to the Israeli investigative bodies is not only counterproductive because it does not obtain any real accountability, but it also gives the veneer of a functioning system," she says.

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/15/1250417719/israel-military-idf-investigations-icc

 

2 minutes ago, coolcarer said:

You are funny. They must keep finding more ammo daily....lol. Just struke the terrorists in one of their favourite hideouts again.

 

IDF: Fighter jets strike group of Hamas operatives hiding in Gaza City school

A group of Hamas operatives gathered at a school in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood were struck by a fighter jet a short while ago, the military says.
According to the IDF, Hamas was using the Dalal School as a hideout for operatives and commanders, and it had planned attacks against Israel from the site.
The IDF says it carried out “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians, including using aerial surveillance and precision munitions.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-fighter-jets-strike-group-of-hamas-operatives-hiding-in-gaza-city-school/

They've also sharply curtailed their military operations.

15 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Great article from a US general who visited Gaza. "one thing is certain—the IDF’s motivation, professionalism and commitment to upholding the laws of armed conflict while mitigating the loss of life to civilians."

 

On The Ground In Gaza: The Reality Of Israel’s Military Operations

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davedeptula/2024/07/31/on-the-ground-in-gaza-the-reality-of-israels-military-operations/

 

Also recommended by John Spencer

 

Israel has not created a gold standard in civilian harm mitigation in war. That implies there is a standard in civilian casualties in war that is acceptable or not acceptable; that zero civilian deaths in war is remotely possible and should be the goal; that there is a set civilian-to-combatant ratio in war no matter the context or tactics of the enemy. But all available evidence shows that Israel has followed the laws of war, legal obligations, best practices in civilian harm mitigation and still found a way to reduce civilian casualties to historically low levels.

https://www.newsweek.com/israel-has-created-new-standard-urban-warfare-why-will-no-one-admit-it-opinion-1883286

7 minutes ago, placeholder said:

They've also sharply curtailed their military operations.

The US only held back 2000 pound bombs and have resumed all other military supplies.  You got a link that supplies are still low? That article of yours is a month old.

13 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

The house of cards.....

 

https://x.com/Ostrov_A/status/1818618596538323405

 

Those decks of cards were made famous during the 2nd Iraq War. I can't believe that you would actually offer that as some kind of evidence of real progress.

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

Those decks of cards were made famous during the 2nd Iraq War. I can't believe that you would actually offer that as some kind of evidence of real progress.

You're right, the left flushed Iraq, Viet Nam and most recently Afghanistan down the toilet. Now they're working on Israel. 

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

Those decks of cards were made famous during the 2nd Iraq War. I can't believe that you would actually offer that as some kind of evidence of real progress.

This is not the Iraq war though. That house of cards reflects facts of who has been killed. 

 

58 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Israel Has Nearly Wiped Out Hamas' Military Leadership

Estimates pulled from sources from the Israeli military suggest up to 80 percent of the senior leadership of Hamas' armed faction have been taken out, said Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow for Middle East security with the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank.

Israel has taken out up to four of every five senior Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades commanders, Ozcelik said, plus an estimated 15,000-20,000 trained Hamas fighters.

The Israeli military says it is committed to tearing apart Hamas' chain of command, destroying its infrastructure—such as the miles of underground tunnels snaking under Gazan cities—and killing Hamas operatives.

Experts say taking out the group's leadership is a tactic designed to grind down Hamas until the organization is unable to function effectively, ultimately forcing it to agree to unfavorable ceasefire terms and return the remaining hostages.

https://www.newsweek.com/israel-hamas-commanders-killed-gaza-strip-1933104

 

7 minutes ago, coolcarer said:

The US only held back 2000 pound bombs and have resumed all other military supplies.  You got a link that supplies are still low? That article of yours is a month old.

First off, you think that full resupply can happen in a month? 

And there's this:

Israel’s military, worn down by Gaza, looks warily toward war in Lebanon
As Israel trades threats with Hezbollah, there are fears that the military is overstretched and its resources depleted after nine months of war against Hamas.

https://archive.ph/IC5qb#selection-515.0-519.158

5 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

This is not the Iraq war though. That house of cards reflects facts of who has been killed. 

 

 

And what real progress did that signify in the Iraq wa?. It just turned into a guerilla war. Just like what's going on in Gaza now. 

Just now, placeholder said:

And what real progress did that signify in the Iraq wa?. It just turned into a guerilla war. Just like what's going on in Gaza now. 

If you are so interested in the Iraq war and deck of cards you could post a topic on it. Are you claiming taking out the leadership is not progress?

1 minute ago, Bkk Brian said:

If you are so interested in the Iraq war and deck of cards you could post a topic on it. Are you claiming taking out the leadership is not progress?

Yes. That is what I'm claiming.   It's what American learned the hard way in Iraq and Vietnam. In Vietnam it was all about body counts. But what's really going on is whack a mole. The American military learned that if you don't keep forces in place to keep the enemy subdued, they rebound. Israel is not keeping forces in place to occupy territory. They keep on returning to the same locales to fight the same battles over and over. Probably because it can't afford to keep its troops tied down to specific places.

12 minutes ago, placeholder said:

First off, you think that full resupply can happen in a month? 

And there's this:

Israel’s military, worn down by Gaza, looks warily toward war in Lebanon
As Israel trades threats with Hezbollah, there are fears that the military is overstretched and its resources depleted after nine months of war against Hamas.

https://archive.ph/IC5qb#selection-515.0-519.158

And if Harris gets elected, they'll be cut off completely and the left's "river to the sea" goal will likely be realized. 

7 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Yes. That is what I'm claiming.   It's what American learned the hard way in Iraq and Vietnam. In Vietnam it was all about body counts. But what's really going on is whack a mole. The American military learned that if you don't keep forces in place to keep the enemy subdued, they rebound. Israel is not keeping forces in place to occupy territory. They keep on returning to the same locales to fight the same battles over and over. Probably because it can't afford to keep its troops tied down to specific places.

Ok. 🤣

15 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Yes. That is what I'm claiming.   It's what American learned the hard way in Iraq and Vietnam. In Vietnam it was all about body counts. But what's really going on is whack a mole. The American military learned that if you don't keep forces in place to keep the enemy subdued, they rebound. Israel is not keeping forces in place to occupy territory. They keep on returning to the same locales to fight the same battles over and over. Probably because it can't afford to keep its troops tied down to specific places.

So, once the left pulled funding such that the troops had to be withdrawn, the Viet Nam effort collapsed, yes? 

IDF on ‘high alert’ as Biden vows US to defend Israel against ‘all threats from Iran’

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday said it was on “high alert” as the country braces for a response to the assassinations this week of Hezbollah’s military chief in Beirut and Hamas’s leader in Tehran, but pledged the military knew how to handle any threat.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-on-high-alert-as-biden-vows-us-to-defend-israel-against-all-threats-from-iran/

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/01/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel-7/

40 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

IDF on ‘high alert’ as Biden vows US to defend Israel against ‘all threats from Iran’

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday said it was on “high alert” as the country braces for a response to the assassinations this week of Hezbollah’s military chief in Beirut and Hamas’s leader in Tehran, but pledged the military knew how to handle any threat.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-on-high-alert-as-biden-vows-us-to-defend-israel-against-all-threats-from-iran/

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/01/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel-7/

Biden? That's hilarious. 

Another Al Jazeera journalist part time terrorist eliminated

 

https://x.com/Israel/status/1819334790203457734

 

UNRWA Head getting some flak from the mother of one of the dead hostages that was kidnapped by a UNRWA worker in Israel and taken back to Gaza.

 

https://x.com/Israel/status/1819325058730410127

 

Here was the UNRWA body snatcher.

https://x.com/avraham_nir/status/1809864994235859311

 

Mother of slain 21-year-old kidnapped by UNRWA worker confronts chief at Swiss ceremony

LAUSANNE, August 1, 2024 — Tonight in Lausanne, Switzerland, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini was confronted by Ayelet Samerano, whose murdered son Yonatan was kidnapped to Gaza by an UNRWA worker on October 7th.

Lazzarini delivered the keynote address for the city of Lausanne’s National Day celebrations, and on the 300th day of the captivity of Yonatan’s body in Gaza.

The decision of Lausanne’s Socialist Party mayor Grégoire Junod to invite Lazzarini sparked outrage among many in Switzerland due to UNRWA’s ties to terror.

https://unwatch.org/mother-of-slain-21-year-old-kidnapped-by-unrwa-worker-confronts-chief-at-swiss-ceremony/

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrx7MC1EXIc&t=38s

 

 

On 8/1/2024 at 11:56 PM, Bkk Brian said:

IDF on ‘high alert’ as Biden vows US to defend Israel against ‘all threats from Iran’

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday said it was on “high alert” as the country braces for a response to the assassinations this week of Hezbollah’s military chief in Beirut and Hamas’s leader in Tehran, but pledged the military knew how to handle any threat.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-on-high-alert-as-biden-vows-us-to-defend-israel-against-all-threats-from-iran/

 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/08/01/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-call-with-prime-minister-netanyahu-of-israel-7/

Aren't you ignoring a little something?

 

Calling to de-escalate, Biden says Haniyeh’s death has ‘not helped’ negotiations
US President Joe Biden said Thursday night he was “very concerned” that violence in the Middle East could escalate, adding that this week’s assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran has “not helped” efforts to negotiate a hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza, where Israel is at war with the terror group.

Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s killing, but has been blamed for it by Iran and Hamas, who have vowed revenge.

Biden said he’d had a “very direct” conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, repeating the phrase “very direct.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/calling-to-de-escalate-biden-says-haniyehs-death-has-not-helped-negotiations/

 

Biden: Haniyeh assassination didn’t help ceasefire deal
Asked about the effect of the elimination of Hamas arch-terrorist Ismail Haniyeh on talks, Biden remarked that it has "not helped."

The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh didn’t help efforts to secure the release of 115 hostages in Gaza, US President Joe Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews base late Thursday night, as he appeared to blame Netanyahu for the absence of a deal.

“We have the basis for a ceasefire, he [Netanyahu] should move on it, and he should move on it now,” Biden said, as he referenced the three-phase proposal for a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza that he had unveiled on May 31.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-813014

 

Netanyahu, Defiant, Appears to Have Gone Rogue, Risking a Regional War
Ignoring the efforts of President Biden and the condemnation of many allies, the Israeli prime minister is forcing the pace of the war and feeding the revolt of the far right.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, came to Washington last week to give a defiant speech. Despite international condemnation, he vowed to continue the war against Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, where Israel is killing and imprisoning scores of Palestinians each week, without any clear idea of its endgame.
The assassinations of senior Hezbollah and Hamas figures abroad have now sharply raised the risks of a larger regional war as Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah prepare retaliation, analysts say.

https://archive.ph/hX8US#selection-945.0-949.186

 

A good case can be made that Netanyahu is trying to drag the US directly into war.

Just now, placeholder said:

 

Aren't you ignoring a little something?

 

Calling to de-escalate, Biden says Haniyeh’s death has ‘not helped’ negotiations
US President Joe Biden said Thursday night he was “very concerned” that violence in the Middle East could escalate, adding that this week’s assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran has “not helped” efforts to negotiate a hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza, where Israel is at war with the terror group.

Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s killing, but has been blamed for it by Iran and Hamas, who have vowed revenge.

Biden said he’d had a “very direct” conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day, repeating the phrase “very direct.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/calling-to-de-escalate-biden-says-haniyehs-death-has-not-helped-negotiations/

 

Biden: Haniyeh assassination didn’t help ceasefire deal
Asked about the effect of the elimination of Hamas arch-terrorist Ismail Haniyeh on talks, Biden remarked that it has "not helped."

The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh didn’t help efforts to secure the release of 115 hostages in Gaza, US President Joe Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews base late Thursday night, as he appeared to blame Netanyahu for the absence of a deal.

“We have the basis for a ceasefire, he [Netanyahu] should move on it, and he should move on it now,” Biden said, as he referenced the three-phase proposal for a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza that he had unveiled on May 31.

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-813014

 

Netanyahu, Defiant, Appears to Have Gone Rogue, Risking a Regional War
Ignoring the efforts of President Biden and the condemnation of many allies, the Israeli prime minister is forcing the pace of the war and feeding the revolt of the far right.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, came to Washington last week to give a defiant speech. Despite international condemnation, he vowed to continue the war against Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, where Israel is killing and imprisoning scores of Palestinians each week, without any clear idea of its endgame.
The assassinations of senior Hezbollah and Hamas figures abroad have now sharply raised the risks of a larger regional war as Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah prepare retaliation, analysts say.

https://archive.ph/hX8US#selection-945.0-949.186

 

A good case can be made that Netanyahu is trying to drag the US directly into war.

Aren't you ignoring a little something?

 

No

A personal attack and a baiting troll post from the same poster have been removed. 

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

UNRWA Head getting some flak from the mother of one of the dead hostages that was kidnapped by a UNRWA worker in Israel and taken back to Gaza.

 

https://x.com/Israel/status/1819325058730410127

 

Here was the UNRWA body snatcher.

https://x.com/avraham_nir/status/1809864994235859311

 

Mother of slain 21-year-old kidnapped by UNRWA worker confronts chief at Swiss ceremony

LAUSANNE, August 1, 2024 — Tonight in Lausanne, Switzerland, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini was confronted by Ayelet Samerano, whose murdered son Yonatan was kidnapped to Gaza by an UNRWA worker on October 7th.

Lazzarini delivered the keynote address for the city of Lausanne’s National Day celebrations, and on the 300th day of the captivity of Yonatan’s body in Gaza.

The decision of Lausanne’s Socialist Party mayor Grégoire Junod to invite Lazzarini sparked outrage among many in Switzerland due to UNRWA’s ties to terror.

https://unwatch.org/mother-of-slain-21-year-old-kidnapped-by-unrwa-worker-confronts-chief-at-swiss-ceremony/

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrx7MC1EXIc&t=38s

 

Here she was at the UN security Council. "I want to tell you want a UNRWA worker did to my son"

 

 

Here we go.  Rah rah rah, or as Graham's good buddy John McCain loved to sing to the Beach Boys hit "Barbara Ann,"  "Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran!" 

So the benefactors of the million$ and million$ of U$D dumped into the personal campaign finances and $uperPAC$ of guys like Graham are now going to pay off for the Corporate War Industry referred to by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Military Industry Complex, is now going to drag us into a multi-front world war with the Middle East as it's catalyst.  I guess all my Christian friends with their eschatological ("I can't wait for the Rapture") world-view regarding Armageddon might actually have hit the nail on the head.  Back in the day the trope was that the forces of Good & Evil would fight it out on the Palestinian lands claimed by Israel as "The Promise Lands."
Of course the line-up was something like this years ago, like back in the 1960s:

Forces Of Good:
Christian White Americans, Christian White Europeans, Other White Christian Colonists, Israeli Jews
Forces Of Evil:

Atheist Commie Ruskies and Atheist Commie Chinese Plus the Rest of the Commies, as well as the Commie Muslim Arabs and all the rest of the Commies

Now that line-up has changed just a bit.  Sorta looks like this:
Forces Of Good:
Americans, Europeans, NATO, What's Left Of Their Colonies, Western Christians except for Eastern Orthodox Christians, Israeli Zionists, Atheists Who Love War, The WEF and the Billionaire-class, Globo-Capitalist including Wall Street, the "Defense Industry," and the MIC.
Forces Of Evil:
Russia, Chinese, Iranians, DPRK, Cubans, Venezuelans, Muslim Arabs, Persians, Turks, Chechans, All Shia Muslims, Slavic Orthodox Christians, All Muslims Not Aligned With The West, BRICS Nations and potential BRICS+ nations who won't take to knee to the West including the Global South and ex-colonial nations who won't sign off on the Zelinsky Peace Plan or calling genocide "Self-Defense"

So when the bovine excrement hits the spinning blades in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Yeman and the first hypersonic missile hits the deck of a US aircraft carrier in the Med, that will drag in everyone else into the cosmic commode <cue flushing sounds> especially if Israel nukes Southern Lebanon.  Once that happens, global restraint is off the table and I doubt that any of the "Forces Of Evil" will see any point in not dragging the US, EU, UK, AU, and NZ into a multi-front World War on their own turf.  But the Western Christians will be baking unleavened bread, marking their doors with lamb's blood, and making animal sacrifices to show their obeisance to their supernatural Creator-in-the-Sky who will "smite" their enemies, the "Forces Of Evil," and throw them into pools of hell-fire and brimstone forever and ever and ever, while giving their worshipers wings to fly to "Rapture" out of harms way and avoid the slaughter on the ground where the Middle East used to be.

Prologue:
The Forces Of Good win, the Forces Of Evil Lose as a beautiful multi-color sun sets over a burning cider where thermonuclear "global-warming" has just taken place.  And the future "Morlocks" as as snug as a bug in a rug in their Continuity Of Goverance bunkers a mile or so underground, all waiting for the day when they can reemerge and fire off what is left in their nuclear arsenals.

So have at it.  The human race are war-like and always have been.  Nuclear weapons in the hands of humans is like a box of locked and loaded SAW M249's in the hands of a pack of chimpanzees.  What possibly could go wrong. 

Thermonuclear BBQ anyone?  Graham has firing up the grill!
 

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-812801

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

Here she was at the UN security Council. "I want to tell you want a UNRWA worker did to my son"

 

 

The unrwa has about 13,000 employees. Blaming the entire organization on the acts of a few is clearly illegitimate. It's made worse by the fact that Israel has made very expansive accusations against  the unrwa but has not actually provided evidence to back those accusations up.

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

The unrwa has about 13,000 employees. Blaming the entire organization on the acts of a few is clearly illegitimate. It's made worse by the fact that Israel has made very expansive accusations against  the unrwa but has not actually provided evidence to back those accusations up.

This is about a mother protesting her legitimate right to express her views and tell the UN about what happened to her son. That his body was taken from Israel by a UNRWA worker. 

6 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

This is about a mother protesting her legitimate right to express her views and tell the UN about what happened to her son. That his body was taken from Israel by a UNRWA worker. 

And it's wrong to criticize those views? Or to point out the context in which they occur? Namely, the vilification of the unrwa by Israel??

14 minutes ago, placeholder said:

And it's wrong to criticize those views? Or to point out the context in which they occur? Namely, the vilification of the unrwa by Israel??

Make of what she is saying all you want. I personally am not into critizing a grieving mother and the facts she spoke about.

2 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Make of what she is saying all you want. 

I've done just that.

7 minutes ago, placeholder said:

I've done just that.

ok 

 

I go with the mothers views and facts she relayed

Douglas Murray doing what he does best in this article, snippet here about the targeted strikes on leaders. 

 

Israel launched a precision airstrike into the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The strike killed Fuad Shukr, one of Hezbollah’s most senior commanders. He was also wanted by the authorities in the US for his involvement in the killing of 241 US military personnel in the Marine barracks bombing that the terrorists carried out in 1983. The short timer of Israeli justice ended up helping the long-arm of American justice.
Then just 10 hours later there was the explosion in Tehran which took out the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh. He was in Tehran to participate in the swearing-in of the new Iranian president, a man whose predecessor fell out of the sky in a helicopter some weeks ago. Although the BBC have been careful to refer to Haniyeh as “moderate and pragmatic”, he was no such thing. He was one of the most senior figures in a brutal terrorist group which has no meaningful distinction between its “military” and “political” wings. After October 7 it was vital that he was targeted.

https://archive.ph/zFeh3

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/08/01/israel-has-shown-it-can-still-hit-back/