August 18, 2006

Defend the Defenders

Last night I saw Ilario Pantano speak at an event organized by the Center for the Study of Popular Culture in Los Angeles.

Ilario Pantano

From the invitation to the event:

ILARIO PANTANO enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17, served in Desert Strom, became a sniper, and trained with militaries around the world. Eager for new challenges, Pantano left the Marines and earned his degree from New York University in three years, studying at night while working for the premier investment bank Goldman Sachs. Hungry for creative success, Pantano began producing and consulting in groundbreaking documentary television, film, and digital media. Witnessing the attacks of 9/11, Pantano fought to return to the Marine Corps in 2003.

Ilario was introduced by Janet Levy of the Center. From my handwritten notes of Levy's remarks:

After 9-11 Ilario re-enlisted and commanded a platoon in Iraq. He shot two Iraqis fleeing a terrorist hideout. This was in a time when the Iraqis were using the techniques of booby-trapped suicide bombers and fake surrenders. He was subsequently put on trial for his life in the U.S. for this. His mother, Merry, said, "Isn't it amazing that he can face death for doing his job making split-second decisions?"

Pantano was ultimately exonerated of all charges. Details are in his new book, Warlord. In the meantime, Merry started an organization called, Defend the Defenders. From their web site:

Who Defends Those Who Defend Us?

The Hamdania Eight

Right now, there are soldiers and Marines preparing to fight for their freedom and their very lives in military courtrooms.

These men are innocent until proven guilty. Period.

We will not leave our Marines and soldiers behind, and we will not offer them up on an altar of political correctness.

We can do no less for those American sons who have voluntarily put their lives at risk many times over in order to protect our freedoms and provide freedoms for others.

Just like the citizenry that they protect, our warriors are entitled to the best defense available under the law.

For those who wish to contribute directly to the legal war chest of the Hamdania Eight, we are hereby listing the websites where you may learn the details of how best to contribute:

• John Jodka
• Rob Pennington
• Melson Bacos
• Jerry Shumate
• Tyler A Jackson
• Marshall Magincalda
• Trent Thomas
• Lawrence Hutchins

For those who have contributed to Defend the Defenders.org, Inc., we will be making donations for legal defense to the above families as well as other cases as the need develops.

We encourage you to pass the word and to be generous. These young men need help and they deserve the benefit of the doubt. They also need to know that they are not being left behind in their time of great need: psychologically, spiritually, and monetarily.

Thank you for your continued support and belief in our troops.

Merry K. Gregory Pantano
Founder, DefendtheDefenders.org

It is unacceptable that these heroes risk their lives for our safety and security, and then face additinal risks from people here in the U.S.

Please support Defend the Defenders, and spread the word about it.

New Consensus In Israel: Withdrawals are Out - Unequivocal Military Victory in the Next War is In

From AFP:

Israeli government faces deep post-Lebanon crisis

Israel's government, under fire over military failures in Lebanon, runs the risk of ultimate collapse with its cornerstone policy of unilateral pullback from the occupied West Bank now off the agenda.

The liberal Haaretz newspaper quoted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as telling ministers and senior members of his Kadima party during a closed meeting this week that talk about his "convergence plan" would not be "appropriate".

A front-page editorial in the newspaper on Friday, entitled "fight for survival", said the war in Lebanon convinced the premier "that it is impossible to sell the public another unilateral withdrawal".

There's very good news here. It means the public consensus in Israel is now ruling out any further unilateral withdrawals, which have been so disastrous for Israel in the Gaza Strip and in Lebanon.

And it means Israelis want to fight the next war like they mean it.

Israel’s Strategy for Hezbollah: Use a “Small War” to Jump-Start Diplomacy?

An excellent comment came in on yesterday's post titled, What GWB and Condi are Thinking re: The U.N. Resolution on the Israel-Hezbollah War:

The post says: "First, for some reason, GWB and Condi seem to think Lebanon really is going to disarm Hezbollah. Where they're getting this from, I have no idea, but it's evident they haven't given up on it yet."

I think this is Israel's idea - to try diplomacy first and then resort to a massive military campaign.

The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives their rationale.

The MFA web page says, "The purpose of the Israeli operation was two-fold - to free its abducted soldiers, and to remove the terrorist threat from its northern border.

Israel understood from the outset that although military operations were necessary to defend its citizens by neutralizing the threat posed by Hizbullah's terrorist infrastructure, the eventual solution would indeed be diplomatic.

The components of such a solution were as follows:

• the return of the hostages, Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser and Eldad Regev;
• the effective deployment of the Lebanese army in all of southern Lebanon;
• the expulsion of Hizbullah from the area, and
• the fulfillment of United Nations Resolution 1559.

[.....]

• the preservation of IDF gains in removing Hizbullah from the border region
• the elimination of the Hizbullah long-range missile threat
• the prevention of Hizbullah's re-arming by closely monitoring of the possible routes into Lebanon from Syria or elsewhere (an arms embargo)."

Also StrategyPage has an article on the trade offs:

The Hizbollah attack left Israel with two options. They could either launch a massive invasion, and overrun all of Lebanon and Syria, or do what they did (to encourage the Lebanese and UN to deal with Hizbollah.) The trouble with the second ( "small war" ) option is that it takes longer, and that leaves Hizbollah intact for longer. But the first ( "big war" ) option would leave thousands of Israeli soldiers dead, and involve the occupation, for months, if not years, of Lebanon and Syria."
...
There's always risk, it's a question of which one you estimate will do you the most good. Israel still has the "big war" option available, and Lebanon and Syria know it. If the small war option doesn't work out, Hizbollah, Lebanon, Syria and Iran know what comes next.