Word: bunkerism
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According to a top Israeli intelligence official, the Pentagon in 2002 offered to supply Israel with bunker-buster bombs capable of punching deep into an enemy's underground defenses, but Israel's air force chief, Lieut. General Dan Halutz, rejected Washington's offer, noting that his country had its own superb weaponry, thank you very much. Four years later, Halutz is now Israel's chief of staff in charge of this summer's air, sea and land strikes against Lebanon. Early on in the monthlong conflict, Israeli intelligence determined that most of Hizballah's rockets were being fired from launchers...
With such rueful hindsight, Israel last month put in an urgent request for precision-guided, 5,000-lb. bunker busters, and the Bush Administration complied, the intelligence source told TIME. And with the New York Times last week reporting that Israel has asked the U.S. to speed up delivery of short-range rockets armed with cluster bombs, Israel appears to be massively gearing up just as the U.N. Security Council--at long last--approved a cease-fire agreement...
...chief of staff, Halutz, 58, may end up taking most of the blame. Dismissing that initial offer of U.S. bunker busters is only one example of his famous hubris. On July 17, five days into the Lebanese conflict, Halutz told Knesset members, "With all the technology we have, there is no reason to start sending ground troops in." A month later, he was pushing to send thousands of soldiers as the only way to defeat Hizballah...
...Waving aside the offer of American-made "bunker-busters" is only one example of Halutz's famous hubris. In a remark that will surely haunt him during the inevitable rash of post-war inquiries, Halutz said on July 14th, "In this day and age, with all the technology we have, there is no reason to start sending ground troops in." A month later, he was ready to order in thousands of troops as the only way to defeat Hizballlah. Granted, Haltuz made the comment after his air force managed to destroy most of Hizballah's arsenal of long-range missiles...
...Palestinians militants Hamas, and a senior Hamas official told TIME that his release will depend on what Hizballah decides to do with its two Israeli hostages.) But many Israelis are worried that if they stop fighting now, they will have lost a weapon far more valuable than any "bunker-buster" - the Israeli army's aura of invincibility. And for that loss in this Lebanese war, more than any other casualty, Olmert and his top generals may pay dearly. - With reporting by Jamil Hamad/Nablus and Aaron J. Klein/Jerusalem