Dear Mr. Alexander:
this is a sad event. you are doing a good job. stay safe. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Maybe if you guys feel this heated about the situation you should shut your mouth and go do something about it. Go to Israel or to Lebanon and find out what is really going on. Stop dictating and guessing from the comforts of your home, feeding of the perspectives of journalists and other media sources who are making money off of this war, acting like that gives you the right to voice your opinion. Go take some food or water to some Lebanese or Israeli citizen caught on the front lines, or pick up a rifle and go join the side you think is in the right, and find out what is really going on over there. Until you do that don't pretend like you can understand the pains or motives of the people there.
From a Marine who has fought and lived in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Actually, a couple of days after IDF began the Lebanon offensive, IDF military command kind of apologized in an Israeli newspaper that IDF ground forces had not been able so far to >cross into LebanonLebaneseclose to the Lebanese village< , and I doubt she was reading an Israeli paper at the time. Are there Lebanese villages inside Israel? This was well past the area called "Sheba Farms" which is on Lebanon's soil, but under the control of Israel.

First recorded history of "guerilla" type warfare was the Maccabees against armies of Antiochus Epiphanes IV, 167-163 BC. The "zealots" and "Sicarri" were the terrorists and assassins of the intertestament period. All of the three Jewish Wars against the Roman Empire (66-70 AD, about 122 AD, and BarKokba revolt, 135AD) were "guerilla" style warfare. Great empires pitched great armies against each other in great wars upon battlefields agreed to before hand, making entirely sure that women, children and the vulnerable were completely out of harm's way. Which ever king won, it was winner take all, and the old government organization merely had a new layer of overseers to supervise the old ones.

The term "terrorist" is being used by the Bush administration and its supporters like the word "injun" was used for Native Americans in the 19th century - to dehumanize and demonize an adversary and therefore make it OK to slaughter them without trying to understand the reasons for their actions.

Ralph, from Florida, I liked your joke. Maybe the ones responsible for getting wars started will read it. They probably won't understand it, though. They see soldiers as only a ways to an end, not as human beings who fight for a reason, which is hopefully peace. Wars will never be eliminated, but then sometimes they have to be fought. Soldiers know this, just like they know peace is the ultimate goal. I hope Israel will win quickly.

Samir -

I love how you frame what is currently going on. I suppose you also believe that if Israel had 0 prisoners there would be peace between Hezbollah and Israel? Also with Hamas? Maybe Israel needs to give up all land that it conquered during 3 different wars, which it was attacked? Maybe Israel should just hand over Jerusalem? Of course, not recognizing a peoples right to exist is no big deal to you either. However, it is the essence of whats going on.
Please tell me as an Egyptian, how you resolve Egypt attacking israel is 48, 67 and beyond? Was the problem also prisoners? It seems you bought Hezbollah story (hook - line and sinker) or maybe it is you who does not want to take your head out of the sand.
I would never suggest that Hezbollah fighters are cowardly and not courageous. They are standing up to, arguably the strongest army in the world with what limited resources aavailable.
But please, arguing that this "war" is Israels fault because they have held 10000 prisoners (some who are murderers and beyond) is senseless and insulting. I would love to hear how you explain Hezbollah's 6 years of planning for this - they so gave diplomacy a chance. Fact is, and everyone knows it, Hezbollah wanted a war. Maybe Iran encouraged them, or maybe it was Syria, or maybe Hamas asked for help. Who knows. But to start a war, and then retroactively claim it was due to prisoners, is the dumbest excuse I've ever heard and you should be ashamed of using it yourself.

Some may call the Hezbollah resistance fighters. We'll have to see who wins this round, for they'll make the final characterizations. If the Nazis, God forbid, had won WWII, what do you think they'd have called the French Resistance? Terrorists, more likely. It's unfortunate, but none of these people in the Middle East will ever stop killing each other. Maybe it's time the rest of the world stopped financing this insanity? I, for one, am tired of seeing my tax dollars go toward this killing. It's bad enough they're being sent to Iraq. What a mess!

Well, gee, Chuck - what's systematically destroying the infrastructure needed for life, called? There will end up being 1,000s of Palestinian (innocent civillians, mind you) deaths due to lack of water, sewer, medicine....FOOD!

I guess that makes Israel 100x the terrorists and cowards as Hezzbollah?

Were not many of the colonists who fought the British during the American Revolution considered to be guerrilla fighters? Should we consider them cowards, too? Hmmm...

I am astonished that there is still some people question why Hezbollah attacked Israel, killed 6 soldiers and kidnapped 2. There are still some people want to portray Hezbollah as a terrorist group who did the first attack for the love of Jewish bload. Hezbollah had publically announced many times before the attack that the only way to free Lebanees presoners is to have Israeli ones. Unfortunately there are alot of Israeli who like to put their heads in the sand and deny obvious truth; Israel still holds alot of Lebanees and palestinian presoners (10,000 palestineans not 2), still occupies Muslim lands and then they don't want any one to retaliate back !!!! Amazing wisdom.
Check this out: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14254.htm

Its amazing how effective the American censored media has been at shaping people's perceptions of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. We send ten MILLION dollars a day of our tax money to prop up Israel, PLUS military hardware and other allotments. That the Palestinians don't have the resources to build a conventional army with tanks and planes only alludes to their courage to face such a technologically superior foe. Regardless of who your politics cause you to support, you can't paint this struggle as a real army versus cowards. Hezbollah fighters carry on without air support, armor support, or medical resources to patch them up. Thus far, all indications are that they're putting up a much stiffer defense than anyone anticipated. Hardly the earmarks of a group of "cowards".

Brian,

You have a truly one sided view of the situation.

It would appear that according to your definition, the only honest warfare is that which was used in the American War of Independence and the Civil War. Everyone marches up to the line, stands there, and shoots at each other. Not only stupid, but long since abandoned.

Each side takes positions, seeks to ambush the others, and then retreats. That's modern warfare. As to the IDF not using these tactics, I seem to recall that the IDF was caught not too long ago using Arab civilians as human shields when clearing buildings, going up to houses, etc. That's just as cowardly as anything Hezbullah has done. Oh, and let's not forget shooting missles from warplanes and attack helicopters at targets known to have civilians in the area, when the targeted individuals were not currently engaged in any fighting. Again, that's just as cowardly as anything the Arabs have done. Further, IDF engages in retributory practices that would be prohibited anywhere else in the world - such as destroying residences, etc.

In all reality, "conventional" warfare can only be fought by two opponents equally matched. Any situation where the two are not equally matched will lead to guerilla warfare. If the IDF wants to engage in "Conventional" warfare, then they need to allow Hezbullah to obtain howitzers, long range missles, tanks, armored bulldozers, conventional munitions, warplanes and attack helicopters, and warships. Otherwise, Hezbullah will fight with whatever resources it has available to it.

Finally, check your history. The early Israeli settlers engaged in practices every bit as guerilla as what Hezbullah, the PLF, etc. is doing. And while Israel is proclaiming that they are trying to carry out the UN Resolution calling for Hezbullah to be dismantled, there are other UN Resolutions calling on Israel to do or avoid doing things - Resolutions they have ignored for years.

Finally, let's not forget - Israel has for years blatently ignored the sovereignity of other nations - they set up a military force in Lebanon, invade other countries, attack other sovereign nations (such as Iran, when they destroyed the reactor), carrying out assassinations and abductions in other sovereign countries, etc. With that kind of track record, why should Isreal be treated any differently than Israel itself treats others?

Fred, I have seen many of your posts and I understand your position but not your reasoning.
The Hagana (which is NOT the IDF and have ceased to exist many years ago), was certainly a terrorist organization, just like the Sons of Liberty, I have to give you that.

The IDF could level the town in 5 minutes but is not doing so because there are civilians there. They chose the more human approach (for lack of a better term) of going house to house, risking (some say foolishly) their own soldiers lives to make sure that the least amount of civilians are hurt. From reports I have heard the Hezbollah are taking cover in houses with families present (at gunpoint or not I don’t know, but I can’t imagine anyone leaving their family in such a situation), when the Israelis barge in they are in a real dilemma, one which I don’t even want to think about.

If it was the US army that town would have been buried by air power with everyone in it.

For all those who calls guerrilla warfare as a cowardly strategy I refer you to 1776 and the American Revolution.

The British method of battle was to line up in rows on a field and face the enemy and each side take shots at each other until one side is left standing, while the American patriots ambushed the Brits as they marched from town to town first at the Brits from behind trees and rocks and moving on to the next position before the Brits could respond.

Hezballah learned some of their battle tactics by studying American history.

It is the winner of the war who decides who are the heros and who are the cowards. But in this case if Hezballah wins enough battles the Arab world will call them heros no matter what the non-Arab world thinks even when Hezballah ultimately loses the war.

Brian,

you clearly don't have a good grasp on the term guerrilla either. Being a guerrilla doesn't make one cowardly...nor does using terrian to your advantage. You expect Hezbollah to fight the IDF in a "fair fight"? Get real...

The Minutemen in the Revolutionary War were guerillas. I thought the goal of any "army" was to win. If you're outnumbered you sure wouldn't line up in redcoats and march forward in straight lines.

Guerilla accurately refers to fighters that engage in a specific type of cowardly warfare strategy, such as Hezbollah. Guerillas are in many ways similar to cowardly terrorists, again like the Hezbollah. They mostly hide in tunnels and alleys, like rats, and only jump out when the enemy has its back turned. Then they attack and just as quickly retreat back to their holes. Israelis do not do this, and they did not start this war. Israeli soldiers are trained to engage enemy fighters head-on and to limit civilian casualties as much as possible. They don't shoot anyone in the back, like Hezbollah cowards. Israelis are merely fighting for their survival in this war, after being provoked harshly. Hezbollah is doing its typical stuff. It provoked its enemy, and now it claims to be "resisting". Its goal is to merely survive and kill as many civilians as possible, then claiming victory. Resisting? Nobody wanted to attack Hezbollah in the first place! They came across the border and killed 8 soldiers, why? This is their way of bolstering internal lebanese support and appeasing their Iranian backers, under this guise of "resistance". Why should anyone, even the lebanese of south lebanon, support hezbollah? If hezbollah really cared about its civilians, why are there no bomb shelters in south lebanon? There are certainly plenty of shelters for its fighters and weapons. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and has inflicted enough misery on this world, carrying out over 80 terrorist operations worldwide, killing thousands. Its time for hezbollah to go.

I remember a joke that came out of the Korean War experience, something about a young G.I. being told how to tell a N. Korean soldier from a South Korean soldier. Just howler out Stalin is a worthless person.
If the guy shoots at you , shoot back. Six mounths latter, the guy who gave the advice winds up in the hospital and the guy in the next bed was the young soldier he had offered the advice to. What happend the older soldier ask. The young man said he had taken the advice and when he howlered out Stalin in a worthles person, the Koreqn howlerd back Truman is an idiot. They were standing in the middle of the road shaking hands and a truck ran over them

Those of you fascinated with definitions, please get over yourselves. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization.

Fred,

A guerrilla fighter, like Hezbollah, immerse themselves within civilian populations, often hiding behind innocent civilians. Israeli soldiers do not. "Terrorist" fighter would have been a better term for the Hezbollah. This man supports anti-personnel rockets fired randomly into civilian populations with the intent of killing innocent civilians. That is "terrorism" and we should use that term for Hezbollah.

Fred, are the members of the USA's armed services to be called guerrillas as well? How about the recognized armies of Great Britain, France, Russia, China or any other nation? The Israeli Defence Force is the same as any of these nations' armed service personnel, as opposed to members of the group of killer terrorists that represent no sovereign nation, and are referred to (rather delicately here, in fact)as guerrillas.

Look up the definition of guerrilla warfare sometime, Fred or LA. It's a description of the tactics used, not a derogatory statement. It is fitting for a member of the Hezbolla, but not the IDF (which uses conventional military tactics, albeit you may not agree with HOW they are using those tactics). If IDF starts using guerrilla tactics, then they can legitimately be calle guerrillas.

I don't think it was inteded to be derogatory. It's a term used to describe military units operating in small groups to haraass a large foe. Why would the IDF be called guerillas? Are you sure you know what the term means?

guerrilla warfare : Irregular force(s) engaged in harassing the enemy in small bands or groups

I dont think the IDF quite fits that definition