I really had meant to write the 2nd installment of my trip down sports marketing memory lane, which was to be about Tiger Woods, but given the news of the six dead hostages, I can’t.
Thank for your article. I'm (so far) far removed from the conflict, but certain things about Oct 7 seem unfathomable to me. This is from the NYT:
“Where is the army,” Amit Man, 22, texted her family after hiding from Hamas attackers for five hours, before she was shot and killed. Others hid in the woods, barricaded themselves in safe rooms and waited for as many as 26 hours for help to arrive.
The slow response of Israeli forces on Saturday, a national holiday, gave Hamas terrorists many hours to infiltrate more than 20 towns outside of Gaza, where they killed at least 1,200 people and took an estimated 150 hostages."
It took over ten hours before help began trickling in.
Here's what astounds me. Israel is about 260 miles in length, and 70 miles at its widest point.
I've been in the military, in 'Nam. We had helicopters in 1968. You could put about fifteen men, a squad, on a helicopter. The Hueys (1968 vintage) flew tops at about 175 mph. Todays Helos can fly much faster. Apache helicopters fly at about the same speed, but can travel about 1150 miles on a tank of fuel.
Why weren't fifty helos with infantry squads aboard at the site of the massacre within an hour of so. Attack helos can fly much faster. And we have VTOL aircraft that can go faster and land anywhere.
This is something that has NEVER been satisfactorily explained as far as I know.
Why, why, why? Why weren't the military leaders who were napping/partying/sleeping, whatever, tried in military courts? Why weren't people fired. Vilified in the papers? I just don't understand.
I don't mean to get off topic, but I believe there are dozens of questions that must be answered and there seems to not be much interest in answering them. The government of Israel and its military... What the hell is wrong?
The Israelis have crushed Hamas in Gaza as a fighting force. They can’t manage any type of sustained counter attacks. Israel controls Gaza. Thus the smaller attacks from the West Bank Hamas members. Sinwar hasn’t been killed because he is surrounded by hostages. They know where he is.
The Democrats in power, whoever they may be, have stymied Israel’s attempts to win. This will not happen in the future as the Israelis have learned not to depend on the USA’s allegiance. The Dems want to preserve Iran and its proxies. Israel wants to destroy them as they are constant lethal threats. Internally, the ruling class in Israel is in league with the Democrats to topple Bibi, in a manner nearly identical to what is being done to Trump here.
I agree. No negotiations with terrorists. Because the entire country is then held hostage. Also, arm all able bodied adult Israelis immediately.. This would have made a difference on October 7. And would make a difference moving forward.
Israel is developing technological solutions to the missiles being fired at them, Iron Beam being a very promising one. Hezbollah and Iran are the next to go.
Thank for your article. I'm (so far) far removed from the conflict, but certain things about Oct 7 seem unfathomable to me. This is from the NYT:
“Where is the army,” Amit Man, 22, texted her family after hiding from Hamas attackers for five hours, before she was shot and killed. Others hid in the woods, barricaded themselves in safe rooms and waited for as many as 26 hours for help to arrive.
The slow response of Israeli forces on Saturday, a national holiday, gave Hamas terrorists many hours to infiltrate more than 20 towns outside of Gaza, where they killed at least 1,200 people and took an estimated 150 hostages."
It took over ten hours before help began trickling in.
Here's what astounds me. Israel is about 260 miles in length, and 70 miles at its widest point.
I've been in the military, in 'Nam. We had helicopters in 1968. You could put about fifteen men, a squad, on a helicopter. The Hueys (1968 vintage) flew tops at about 175 mph. Todays Helos can fly much faster. Apache helicopters fly at about the same speed, but can travel about 1150 miles on a tank of fuel.
Why weren't fifty helos with infantry squads aboard at the site of the massacre within an hour of so. Attack helos can fly much faster. And we have VTOL aircraft that can go faster and land anywhere.
This is something that has NEVER been satisfactorily explained as far as I know.
Why, why, why? Why weren't the military leaders who were napping/partying/sleeping, whatever, tried in military courts? Why weren't people fired. Vilified in the papers? I just don't understand.
I don't mean to get off topic, but I believe there are dozens of questions that must be answered and there seems to not be much interest in answering them. The government of Israel and its military... What the hell is wrong?
Your questions are not off-topic at all.
I wrote about this right after the attack.
My questions went into the void because I don't have a big reach but I feel that if I did have a big account they would have gone into a void.
They must be answered - but I don't have the answers.
What's fact is that this was a massive, massive failure.
The Israelis have crushed Hamas in Gaza as a fighting force. They can’t manage any type of sustained counter attacks. Israel controls Gaza. Thus the smaller attacks from the West Bank Hamas members. Sinwar hasn’t been killed because he is surrounded by hostages. They know where he is.
The Democrats in power, whoever they may be, have stymied Israel’s attempts to win. This will not happen in the future as the Israelis have learned not to depend on the USA’s allegiance. The Dems want to preserve Iran and its proxies. Israel wants to destroy them as they are constant lethal threats. Internally, the ruling class in Israel is in league with the Democrats to topple Bibi, in a manner nearly identical to what is being done to Trump here.
I agree. No negotiations with terrorists. Because the entire country is then held hostage. Also, arm all able bodied adult Israelis immediately.. This would have made a difference on October 7. And would make a difference moving forward.
Israel is developing technological solutions to the missiles being fired at them, Iron Beam being a very promising one. Hezbollah and Iran are the next to go.
Informative