" That is very concrete thinking."
I was responding to YOUR comparison to the Napoleon situation w/ Russia.
" Can you describe to me how wasting Israeli military strength protecting militarily useless settlements inside Gaza (thereby fighting the war of attrition that you say Israel cannot afford) instead of establishing a defense line behind the Israeli Wall increases Israel's strategic depth?"
The settlements were established at strategically important locations.
The Philadelphi route is being abandoned. The Egyptians who are taking it over (gag) have no stomach for eliminating the smuggling tunnels. (I'm assuming you know what/where that is)
The IDF will have a most difficult time operating in Gaza now - militarily and politically.
There is still the issue of missiles being shot over the walls. Watch as the Palestinians smuggle in Katyushas to suppliment their homegrown missiles.
That was not my comparison. That was Aloutte's comparison.
I was responding to Alloutte's comparison of the Gaza situation to Napoleon's defeat caused, in her opinion, by his decision to retreat from Moscow.
The truism put forth was that any retreat in the face of the enemy is a sign of weakness. Such a mindset is a guarantee of military disaster.
In fact, what got Napoleon into that mess in the first place was his refusal to consider any retreat when military common sense required it.
The settlements were established at strategically important locations. The Philadelphi route is being abandoned. The Egyptians who are taking it over (gag) have no stomach for eliminating the smuggling tunnels. (I'm assuming you know what/where that is) The IDF will have a most difficult time operating in Gaza now - militarily and politically. There is still the issue of missiles being shot over the walls. Watch as the Palestinians smuggle in Katyushas to suppliment their homegrown missiles.
See my Post 444.
If Egyptian smuggling becomes a problem, Israel, in self defense, can cut off the Southern end of Gaza with an armored thrust and, in one day, turn Gaza into the world's largest POW camp.
Even without such a move, Gaza will become the Israeli Air Force's Happy Hunting Ground.
The Palestinian Authority will have to choose between battling Hammas or watching Gaza's infrastructure reduced to rubble.