By having Hamas and Hizbollah attack Israel, the Islamic extremists, presumably under the leadership of Iran, have succeeded in calling into the field at the same time the two most effective military forces in the world — those of the US and Israel. The last person to achieve a strategic triumph of this magnitude was Adolf Hitler when on December 11, 1941, he declared war on the United States.  For those who do not study history, that did not end well for him. Israel is being criticized by the usual defeatists at the UN and in Europe for its response being "disproportionate."  Is that true?  We can only hope so.  The purpose of a military offensive is not to be proportionate, it is to be victorious by crushing the enemy.  Then you make — and have — peace. Greg Richards   7 15 06(Read Full Post)