Former officers rally to Sharon's side
Prime Minister Sharon's supporters put their faith in numerous former elite unit members who volunteered for PM's new party campaign. 'Military men have the know-how, ability to carry out field operations' an associate of Sharon says
So far, Kadima's power is based solely on the 14 Knesset members who have decided to leave the Likud and join Sharon.
The prime minister's supporters are currently seeking for volunteers and recruiting members to operate the party's state-wide campaign ahead of elections.
Sharon may be short on MKs at the moment, but the one thing the prime minister is expected to have in abundance is the support of former military officials.
Many ex-officers in IDF elite units have rallied to Sharon's side, since he made his announcement Monday of his intention to quit the Likud.
Numerous backers have called the PM's associates after word was out he was embarking on a new political path, and stated they wish to volunteer for the party. Many of the callers were former members of various elite units, including several paratroopers.
In light of the plentiful offers to help, and seeing that the elections are only a few months ahead, Sharon's supporters have decided to establish a mechanism that will be based on groups of activists throughout the country, which will be headed by reserve officers from elite army units.
Each unit will be responsible for operating in the region allotted to it and demonstrate constant presence across junctions and highways.
The prime minister's adviser Shai Azrieli, a former member of a commando unit himself, was appointed to lead the recruitment process, and has already started forming the operative infrastructure for the new party.
The new reality we are facing has convinced us that we need to establish effective teams headed by army men who know how to get things done, a source at the prime minister's office said.
"Military men have the know-how and the ability to act intensively and vigorously, and they are capable of carrying out field operations," he added.
Notably, Ariel Sharon is not the first to adopt the military method of operation for his campaign.
During the elections in 1999, associates of candidate Ehud Barak set up similar work teams that were led by experienced army men and former members of the commando unit Barak headed as a young officer.
