West point has not, but Israel certainly had

Submitted by Yuval Brandstetter MD (Israel), Nov 14, 2006 at 07:46

The present campaign in Gaza has shown that israeli tactics can inflict heavy damage on the Islamic enemy even inside his own turf and jungle. Anyone who ever racedm down the street of an Arab souk alley knows what a tremendous advantage it gives the insurgent, and yet, The Jews can do it when they get the order to do it right.

The americans are learning it too, in Israel, in Israeli camps, tutored down to the last infantry-man how to do it. The question is not how, but why. In Israel's case it is survival. In the American case it is to save the face of an administration which went to war not to protect American interests, but Saudi interests. Not American lives, but the flow of Oil. A tremendous investment on the wrong goal, Teaching Arabs democracy? Bah, Humbug. Teaching the Islamists that the price of showing their fangs is defanging? That is a worthy goal.

At htis time the US and Britain are turning their backs on the Jewish State, despite the threat of annihilation looming over this small country, and turn to the appeasement of Syria and Iran. Nothing new there. Its been done before, 1939 (Czechoslovakia) 1948 (the US and British embargo on arms to the Jews), 1967 (US, Britain and French embargo on arms to israel). What Dr Pipes has to say about this Allied about face remains to be seen.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Daniel Pipes replies:

I do not agree that "the US and Britain are turning their backs on the Jewish State." As they have for nearly six decades, they are balancing their interests.