Recent Isareli military action in Gaza

[Wrath of Dagon]

They can always split it off if it's a problem, they already split this thread once.

[LavenderGooms]

That's what I used to think, but there was a woman on a forum who said she was a sniper in the Marines.

 

Not possible. Snipers must complete infantry school and have at least two years of fleet service before being selected for the scout/sniper program. I don't know about the Army but the Marines do not allow women to serve in "line" units meaning combat units. They do serve in air and support units but essentially infantry, artillery, and armor are not open to women marines. Pretty much everything else is.

 

I don't want to sound sexist here, but the WMs I served with were not very well respected. They did not pull their weight in training or day to day operations and most could not hack it in unit PT. Most of them finished the formation runs in the back of the trail vehicle with not a word said to them. And nearly every one had a mammoth chip on their shoulders. Not easy to deal with at all. That is not to cast aspersions on all WMs, but the ones I knew did not belong in the Corps.

 

WMs, lol.

 

I bet they all hated being called that, every one of them that I ever knew did at least.

 

All those things you said still hold true today for the most part even though I've had the privilege to serve with a few stellar ones, they were the exception not the rule.

[SteveThaiBinh]

http://www.markfiore.com/

[Walsingham]

Uh... Isn't being off topic against forum guidelines? You guys trying to get this topic locked or sumthin?

 

We're just establishing some common ground.Jew, Christian, Muslim Atheist... we're all chauvinist pigs.

[Humodour]

"As of 2005, women [in Israel] are allowed to serve in 83% of all positions in the military, including Shipboard Navy Service (except submarines), and Artillery. Combat roles are voluntary for women."

 

Also of note is that openly gay people are treated exactly like straight people in the IDF. This is not true in America, where openly gay people are not allowed in the military (it was on Obama's agenda of things to change, but given the current world situation I'd say it has a low priority).

 

Edit: I'm ambivalent about women in combat roles. I can see merit in both the for and against cases (e.g. an all-male front line removes distractions, and there's no soldier shortage currently, so no need to add women).

Edited January 9, 2009 by Krezack

[Calax]

Edit: I'm ambivalent about women in combat roles. I can see merit in both the for and against cases (e.g. an all-male front line removes distractions, and there's no soldier shortage currently, so no need to add women).

I would think that if women were in front line roles and not segregated from men, the army and marines would have to deal with the inevitable procreation after the soldiers get down from adrenalin highs. Heck I'm willing to bet that in the navy, despite regulations contrary, couples are formed and they rut like animals whenever they can steal a chance.

[Killian Kalthorne]

Government Issue Condoms, now in your MREs!

[Meshugger]

urr, hamas vs. israel?

 

Anyone?

 

Unless someone digs up the "Women of Hamas: Battlefront edition".

[Trenitay]

I believe Hamas and Israel are fighting.

[Gorgon]

To be fair it's easy to be distracted by buxom chicks in Khakis.

[Calax]

Government Issue Condoms, now in your MREs!

special issue

[Humodour]

Will they give me funky black mojo?

[Kaftan Barlast]

The Israeli blew up a Norwewigan ambulance early this morning. It was willfully destroyed by a laserguided missile despite having clear markings. And as this is clearly an act of war, the Norweigan commonwealth has declared war against Israel. Given the diminuitive size of Israel, three Norweigan riflemen will be enough to occupy the entire country.

[Gorgon]

There must have been Hamas hiding in it, and that makes everything alright.

[Walsingham]

The Israelis have been claiming for years that terrorist groups routinely use ambulances for transport. I haven't seen any proof, but it's not as if Hamas wouldn't do something which invited attack onto aid workers.

 

Of course, if you wanted to get all conspiracied up you could say it was the Israelis deliberately bombing foreign aid workers in an attempt to scare them off. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to ride this unicorn to the takeaway.

[Gorgon]

More likely they just don't care as much as they perhaps ought to.

[Wrath of Dagon]

So we're posting fake news now?

[Aristes]

Aside from Kaftan's account in his post, who seems to like to goof around, is there real evidence that the Israelis hit a Norweigan ambulance? I mean, it would have to be part of a humanitarian aid package, and I'm assuming that the ambulance was manned by Norweigan volunteers. Otherwise, I'm sure that it would not have been particularly newsworthy. If it did happen, then I'm interested in the particulars. If it did not, then the joke is a little flat (sorry Kaftan). Not because of any partisan pro-Israeli/Palestinian reason, but it just doesn't make sense. Although it is kind of goofy in the same sense as the "chics of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict" thing.

 

As far as using ambulences, I don't think the Israelis should target them. I don't think it's a good excuse to target any civilian or humanitarian vehicle/location unless it is clear that some other entity (such as Hamas) has displaced the civilian or hamanitarian purpose in order to use the vehilce or location for military or terrorist purposes. There has to be some line, and the Israelis have a fairly heavy hand when it comes to things like this.

 

Those of us on the outside, regardless of how we view the conflict on its face, should be willing to continually assess the conflict as it unfolds daily. I think diplomacy can always work. At any time, both sides may be willing to engage in honest and good faith talks of peace. Just because we can't see it now, doesn't mean it cannot happen. It can. For that reason, it's best for folks following the conflict from afar to avoid being completely partisan towards one side or the other. If they're ever to have a lasting peace, both sides need to feel as if their vital interests are served.

Edited January 10, 2009 by Aristes

[Killian Kalthorne]

Since one side, Hamas, is only really interested in wiping out Israel I doubt there will be any lasting peace until one side does wipe out the other.

[Humodour]

I'm banking on this Egyptian-French plan to send in a Turkish peacekeeping force to subdue Hamas and thus force an Israeli ceasefire.

[Volourn]

Is that sarcasm?

 

That won't happen.

 

This is what will happen.

 

Eventually,. Isreal will ahve to back down to the UN's calls for a ceasefire, and stop the invasion. Hamas will go along with it as it'll buy them time to recover and promote fellows into senior positions, and make/buy more rockets and other weapons. Later down the road, the same thing will again. Repeat all over again as long as Hamas is in control of Gaza.

Edited January 11, 2009 by Volourn

[Trenitay]

Well it's the best chance they've got right now.

[Walsingham]

It's hard not to link this all to Hamas. The West Bank is not Hamas controlled, and is not having the stuffing knocked out of it. Possibly because they don't regard lofting explosive rockets at Israel as a past-time for the whole family.

[Humodour]

Is that sarcasm?

 

That won't happen.

 

No, it's not sarcasm, it's the French-Egyptian cease-fire proposal which you obviously missed and is backed by Turkey, America, and the EU.

[Volourn]

Which was promptly ignored by both Hamas and Isreal. So, good on them for such uselessness. And, no, Isreal will stop the fighting eventually as they always do when the decide to finally listen to the UN. Hamas will go along with it while they are broken but as soon as they rebuild their weaponsstock, and promote some new leaders we'll be here again. But, nothing will relaly change.

 

The chances of Turkey being allowed to send troops in is laughable. No way Hamas allows that without a fight.