Welcome to Katyusha World: The Problem With Very Short Range Ballistic Missiles

The Wall Street Journal ^ | July 28, 2006 | Daniel Henninger

[John Carey]

Melodramatic images of war are now televised all day long. The images out of Israel this week have produced something new for war-soaked living-room audiences. One might call it Katyusha World.

The all-too-visible reality for the inhabitants of Katyusha World is that there is no defense against incoming rocket barrages other than hiding and hoping. The Hezbollah militia has decided to use unguided artillery Katyusha rockets like bullets. They fired more than 1,500 of them this week.... http://peace-and-freedom.blogspot.com/

[gakrak]

Given the circumstances, carpet bombing may be in order for Israel. Amen.

[kms61]

Exactly what Hezbolla wants. They've maneuvered Israel into a no-win situation: Bleed the Israel on the ground in South Lebanon until they withdraw, or force the IDF to use increasingly draconian tactics, thus givin Hezbollah a propaganda victory. Diabolically clever.

[msnimje]

Are all Katyusha rockets from Russia? if so, reporters should say, "Hezbullah fired 100 Russian Katyusha rockets today."

[capitalist229]

Take Beirut, annex Lebanon.

The world will take note.

BUMP

[LeoWindhorse]

B-52's to Israel.....

[omniscient]

Conquer Lebanon with intention of permanent occupation and rule by Israel. Purge and liquidate all hezbos. Fait accompli. "World opinion" be damned.

[Smokin' Joe]

What about THEL?

[Leisler]

World opinion has always hated the Jews, so why should they care? Like if they do what anyone else would do, they won't be liked? What's the down side? Some lefty, commie Arab loving Jew does the 'Burning Budist' in Tel Aviv? Some JAP at Berkley tells her parents she hates them? Please.

[BnBlFlag]

All of this PC crap will be the death of the West undoubtedly.

[John Carey]

Yes, all Katyusha rockets are from Russia. The
C-802 "Silkworm" that hit the Israeli ship was made in China. The weapons flow is all Rus/China to Iran, Syria then Hezbollah.....

[omniscient]

What about THEL/

"lack of mobility and the fixed base limitations ..."

http://www.defense-update.com/directory/THEL.htm

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Exactly what Hezbolla wants. They've maneuvered Israel into a no-win situation: Bleed the Israel on the ground in South Lebanon until they withdraw, or force the IDF to use increasingly draconian tactics, thus givin Hezbollah a propaganda victory. Diabolically clever.

Indeed we are talking about propaganda warfare here. But there is a Catch-22 for Hezbolla as well. Up until 1967 tiny, vastly outnumbered Israel was considered the underdog. Since that time, Israel had been ranked as a Western nation and the "less sophisticated, less connected Arabs" have been the underdog against "colonial" Israel. The minute Hezbolla threatens actually to win, Israel will again become the underdog.

Let that happen, and the double standard will fall away and Hezbolla will be "vicious murderers of civilians who ignore the Geneva Conventions" - in PR positioning as well as in fact.

Journalism is negative and superficial. How could journalism be anything else, when every day it has to scare people into not walking past the newsstand without picking up the paper?

Journalism is arrogant. You would be too, if you had the power to "comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable" - and the power to decide who is "afflicted" and who is "comfortable." If people lusted after a kind word from you, and dreaded "bad PR" which you could at a whim withhold or bestow. If you could claim to be "objective" and nobody laughed.

Journalism is unrepresentative. Journalism ignores what happens every day, only wanting to talk about things that are unusual.

So there is the situation. On the one hand you are in a physical, life and death struggle with a vicious, treacherous, implacable enemy. OTOH, winning the propaganda battle is essential to you - and the PR battlefield is dominated by arrogant, essentially frivilous people who don't care whether you live or die, as long as you put on a good show. It's a little like being a gladiator in the Coliseum - and having to impress Nero in order to live another day.

Why Broadcast Journalism is
Unnecessary and Illegitimate

The wisest and most cautious of us all frequently gives credit to stories which he himself is afterwards both ashamed and astonished that he could possibly think of believing . . . It is acquired wisdom and experience only that teach incredulity, and they very seldom teach it enough. Theory of Moral Sentiments - Adam Smith

[GAB-1955]

THEL's going into production as Safeguard by Northrop Grumman; units will be available in 2 years or so.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

"Journalism is arrogant."

BINGO, those bast---- think they know best.

[Steve Van Doorn]

"Exactly what Hezbolla wants. They've maneuvered Israel into a no-win situation: Bleed the Israel on the ground in South Lebanon until they withdraw, or force the IDF to use increasingly draconian tactics, thus givin Hezbollah a propaganda victory. Diabolically clever."

you got it. It is a no clear win for Israel. The only way I see how to do it is get spotters on the in side or level the area.

[Terabitten]

bump.

[kitd-fohs]

Sure, let's lend-lease them some BUFFs, or send the 9th BW over there TDY for some live range drops.

[Smokin' Joe]

Thanks for the info!

[steveyp]

If Israel kills a lot of the Hezz through draconian tactics and still hold ground in southern Leb then I would trade that for a Hezz propaganda victory.