What I heard that makes sense to me about the captive soldiers, is that POWs are never returned by force. How could they have been? Maybe in the first hours they could have been recovered, but after that, no chance. Their location is not revealed and if it were, a rescue effort could have failed. That cannot be the determining factor. Was the war just to release the men? Was that the only goal? Other goals were at least partially achieved. Continuing the batle would have brought further disaster as the IDF was not in good shape and not well organized to begin with. This does not mean that the IDF is weak. Certainly, exposing problems will lead to greater strength, when problems are addressed. When the dust settles, Israel's actions will be put in perspective. There was no clear victory, but certainly not a defeat.

really people, the only reason Hizb claimed victory is because some of them survived. That was their expectation, nothing more. israel can claim a draw because how can you say Israel lost? Did they bomb and cause huge amounts of damage? Not really, Did they cause the israeli infrastructure to collapse? Nope. Did they cause the IDF to be defeated on the battlefield? Well horrible though it is, 100 soldiers is not fatal for the IDF. So how can Hizb claim they won? They cant, maybe if they said it was a draw, that would be fairer. Israel didnt defeat Hizb as it should have done. But Hizb didnt really do much to Israel either. And lets be honest Israel has recovered already, has Lebanon? As for the usual arab rantings on here, well check a history book or look at the evidence. Israel / Jewish People were here before you and your invading warrior religion! So get used to it, you lost and the Jews are here in G-ds B.H. land as promised to us. Also one last point, why do you think the al-aqsa mosque, is called the temple mount! Because it is built on the Jewish Temple, try and read some real books. As for everyone else, shalom, and shabbat shalom. Peace will come when the arabs want it and except israel, is for us.

Best line in the article. Hey, Olmert, Peretz, & Livni - this was for you.

Otherwise we should say that the terrorist achieved a victory in Iraq and USA by killing and destroying. I have no doubt that there is no difference between Israel and any terrorist organization coz killing is killing whether you use organized army or gorilla fighters. But in the last war on Lebanon, Israel put many goals none of them been achieved. I don’t think Israel could make all this damage against Lebanese civilians and infrastructure without the airplanes but the other military units were an easy hunt for Hezbollah fighters. Imagine if Hezbollah is able to stop these jets is Israel able to make this big achievement by killing civilians I doubt. Hezbollah fought till the end and nothing changed during the 33 days war except the Israeli troubles. Unlike the other defeated Arab nations (who turned against Hezbollah after the execution of Saddam Hussein) in Lebanon we don’t look at IDA or IDF (whatever) like undefeatable army. And I like to add we don’t rely much on these Arab nations.

Wars are started by one side in order to achieve a certain goal, for example, Egypt's goal in starting the '73 war was to destroy Israel, and since it failed to do so it lost the war, even if it did manage to kill thousands of Israelis and regain the Sinai for nothing in the talks that followed. Hizbullah's goal in starting the war was to kidnap Israeli soldiers and enter talks to exchange them for its prisoners in Israel, and it suceeded in this, therefore it won hte war. As for the freeing of prisoners by force, history is packed full of examples like the Great Raid by American forces in the Philippines in which prisoners were rescued by military action. Israel itself has sucessfuly freed prisoners by military action in Entebbe. And the IDF was in much better shape than you think, an very much better than its commanders. If you remember, there was one point near the end of the war when the ground forces thought they had been given the order to take the Litani river and started advancing, and by the time the order to halt made it down the command chain a few hours later the Army was practically there.

where are the peace plans that call for arab nations to compromise and to give up land that their forefathers stole from the Jews and others? Where oh where is that little peace plan?

So too will be the "victory" for Iran if they attempt to send a nuke over to Israel. Israel will intercept it and with the same push of a few buttons, eliminate a national threat in the form of vaporizing Iran. Is that a victory for Iran because they tried to bully the Jews? What exactly is the victory in blowing one's self up to kill others? Is that a victory. Just like the kamikaze pilots of WWII. If these are victories, then yes, I can see why you would think they are victories. Just like you think the stars are really just painted on the sky.

Based on your torah and "books" the world existed since 7000 years only so there has never been the civilization of Mesopotomia. Read the books well. The only place where jews had been treated well was the Ara world. You have been always been condemned by the westerners, even Shakespear made Shilok the bad guy, a jew. Why did not we see any jewish ruin in Palestine but that wall?where are the knessets' or the castles of your leaders?etc... Allan, with all the available technology you could not break Hizbullah this time. What are your alternatives? May be next time it would be Hizullah that would invade Israel , who knows? the "legendary" IDF was so 10 years ago. It is a turning point now. Just wait and you will see...THe resistants managed to put 1.o Million israelis in the shelters. Your state terrorism is famous...but you lost some of your touch....Be ready, our culture is that of martyrdom...yours is about corruption and bacstabbing. Nasrallah looks like nebuchassnasser....look at both portraits and you will understand. He gave up his son for the cause....All the blood of the children and civilians you spilled will not be forgotten...trust me on this....one day, I hope we will meed in al quds...

all of us need the mercy of the enemy more than the democracy of it specialy when the enemy win ////// this is the real islam .this is what saladinn did with ritchard the ill and weake one ..this is what iraqi and palastinians need from their enemy when they said we won the war ... i like democracy in israil //but i do not like the hatfull in it also .... democracy is not the opposit of hate

Sniper + bolet = Kill the man Sniper + Roket = Kill the man Sniper + 100 Roket = Kill the man The man still alive !!! Question What do you call such sniper?