www.ditl.org

It'd be interesting if the Palestinians actually let someone ride herd on the materials to confirm where they were used. Not that anyone would ever agree to that.

Captain Seafort wrote:It'll be reciprocated all right - if the Israelis are giving Gaza steel piping then the Gazans will give Israel steel piping. Via rocket.

I fear you're right, though not exactly what I meant. I was hoping for something more along the lines of the Palestinian population helping to root out the Hezbollah pockets.

Tyyr wrote:It'd be interesting if the Palestinians actually let someone ride herd on the materials to confirm where they were used. Not that anyone would ever agree to that.

Sure they will - they'll let an Israeli soldier ride shotgun just far enough to get into rock-throwing range.

Mikey wrote:I fear you're right, though not exactly what I meant. I was hoping for something more along the lines of the Palestinian population helping to root out the Hezbollah pockets.

Nitpick - it's Hamas down in Gaza, not Hezbollah. AFAIK the two don't have much in common other than an intense dislike of Israel. As for what you meant, I know. I also doubt that you expected any response except the one I mentioned.

Sure they will - they'll let an Israeli soldier ride shotgun just far enough to get into rock-throwing range.

Doubt it - they'd probably let them get close enough to physically swarm them. Voila - a dozen Gilad Shalits.

Captain Seafort wrote:Nitpick - it's Hamas down in Gaza, not Hezbollah.

Beg pardon. I've become so accustomed to using the term "Hezbollah" to refer to the radical and terroristic branch of Palestinian activists, that it just sort of crept over. My intent was to differentiate between the governmental-types in Hamas from the rocket-launching, killer types. Sort of like if I were trying to make a point about the difference between the IRA proper and Sinn Fein.

Captain Seafort wrote:I also doubt that you expected any response except the one I mentioned.

You'd be correct.

Mikey wrote:Beg pardon. I've become so accustomed to using the term "Hezbollah" to refer to the radical and terroristic branch of Palestinian activists, that it just sort of crept over. My intent was to differentiate between the governmental-types in Hamas from the rocket-launching, killer types. Sort of like if I were trying to make a point about the difference between the IRA proper and Sinn Fein.

As I said - the two are very different. The main issue is that Hezbollah is Shia, while Hamas is Sunni. If you want to distinguish between the leadership and the grunts the Hamas equivalent of the Provos would be the al-Qassam Brigades.

You know, when I went to college I lived next door to a powder keg - the two roommates next to me were both Muslim... one Sunni, one Shi'ite. Back then there was a good, clear division between the aims, goals, and methods of either, and not just between the religious history. Now, not so much at all. Hell, imagine my surprise when a very young Mikey (I'm talking age 7 or 8 ) learned from a cousin-in-law (who had been recalled to Tzahal for a few weeks) what religion the Druse practiced!