"The government is leading Israel to an abyss. She is doing something that in the course of time might lead to crying for generations".
- Meir Vilner, at a Knesset session in 1982
Yesterday the Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz wrote: ""Alongside the achievements, the fighting uncovered shortcomings in various areas -- logistical, operational and command."
That was the nicer words being used in Israel today.
"Fiasco" was the word that Shin Bet director Yuval Diskin used. "The north was abandoned, the government systems collapsed there completely."
In a poll released today, 63% of Israelis want Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down. The whole political backlash from this disasterous war is being personified in protesting reservists outside the PM's office.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has decided to investigate Israel's use of cluster bombs in Lebanon. This is in the background of Amnesty's call for war crimes investigation of Israel's conduct.
"No one should be surprised if the peacekeeping force encounters intractable political and military problems on the ground."
- Defense Intelligence Agency study, 1982
If this all sounds familiar, that's because it is.
Today is a completely unnoticed anniversary. Today is the 24th Annivesary of the day the first U.S. Marines stepped onto Lebanese soil in 1982. A year later the Marines were engaged in almost daily firefights that culminated in 256 of them getting killed. The French lost 89 of their own soldiers.
It was only last week that France offered to send 400 troops as part of a "Multinational Force in Lebanon". The media completely missed the irony in the fact that this was the exact same number of troops that France originally sent into Lebanon as part of a "Multimational Force" in 1982.
It was only six years ago that the Israeli public celebrated the end of the 1982 decision to invade Lebanon.
After 22 years of bloodshed, and the loss of 2,000 soldiers, Israel's disastrous occupation of Lebanon is over. Most Israelis were delighted to be rid of a nightmare that had become their nation's version of Vietnam.
"An effective multinational force will help speed delivery of humanitarian relief, facilitate the return of displaced persons and support the Lebanese government as it asserts full sovereignty over its territory and guards its borders,"
- President Bush, 2006
"We are enabling the Lebanese Government to resume full sovereignty over its capital...The purpose of this multinational force is not to act as a police force, but to make it possible for the lawful authorities of Lebanon to do so themselves."
- President Reagan, 1982
If this 2006 war seems to echo of 1982 to you, you aren't alone. For instance, from the cluster bomb investigation article I linked above:
A congressional investigation after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982 found Israel guilty of intentionally dropping cluster bombs in civilian areas.
A six year ban was imposed on further sales of the weapons to Israel.
And from
this article about how unhappy the reservists are about the war:
Reservists returning from the war criticised the military and political leadership, complaining that they were treated as "cannon fodder", citing the lack of body armour, ground force equipment being over 24 years old and shortages of food and water.
Hmmm. 24 year old equiptment. Why that's 1982 again.
Today's political backlash even rings a familiar tone. In 1982 300,000 people took to the streets to protest how the war was conducted following the massacres at
Sabra and Shatila. The investigation that followed found Ariel Sharon, founder of Israel's ruling party, "indirectly responsible". (the Kahan Commission concluded Sharon should never hold political office again. A suggestion that Israel ignored to its own, and Meir Vilner's, tears.)
Israelis also want Defense Minister Amir Peretz to step down, by a margin of 3 to 1. A majority want Gen. Dan Halutz to step down as well. Budget cutbacks to pay for the $9 Billion war is causing political infighting, and there is now talk of the ruling coalition falling apart.
"The responsibility for the military operation rests on my shoulders as prime minister. I have no intention and do not wish to share this responsibility with another."
- Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, August 15, 2006
Quite possibly the most obvious similarities of 2006 and 1982 is the lack of clear goals.
"What was our mission? I'll tell you what our mission was: A lot of people died for nothing and then we left."
- Lance Cpl. Nick Mottola, 1984
What's most important to note is the lessons that were never learned from 1982, as well as the things that were forgotten.
For instance, does anyone remember that America's previous military expedition into Lebanon led to a near shooting war with Syria that led to 8 Marines being killed and two American fighters being shot down?
With so many similarities between these two tragic events, I can't help think that while history may not repeat, it is certainly destined to rhyme again.
"We will resist those who seek drive us out of that area."
- President Reagan, 1983
"They want to drive us from the region, that they view it as the central front as well. Our strategy is this: We will stay on the offense -- and we are."
- President Bush, August 2006
There is one other similarity that is worth mentioning.
When it came time to tell Lebanon's new President Amin Gemayel that the Marines were leaving Lebanon to its fate in early 1984, the task fell on President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East - Donald H. Rumsfeld.