Have you ever heard of the IDF's Hannibal Directive?

Thanks to TheBronze for the info.

via Wikipedia.

The purpose of the Hannibal directive is to prevent the abduction of Israeli soldiers by enemy forces even if thereby risking their life. Israeli soldiers are ordered to stop an abduction by force and to use any means available to this end. The controversial logic behind the order seems to be that a dead soldier is preferable to a captive. The Israeli daily Haaretz published the following formulation in 2003:

"During an abduction, the major mission is to rescue our soldiers from the abductors even at the price of harming or wounding our soldiers. Light-arms fire is to be used in order to bring the abductors to the ground or to stop them. If the vehicle or the abductors do not stop, single-shot (sniper) fire should be aimed at them, deliberately, in order to hit the abductors, even if this means hitting our soldiers. In any event, everything will be done to stop the vehicle and not allow it to escape." [3]

The order is considered top secret and its existence has often been denied by Israeli military authorities. The exact wording of the directive is not known and it has apparently been updated several times over the years.[citation needed]

I would pay good money to read the real directive.  It does make sense though and if you watched the videos put out by those animals in ISIS then you can understand why I consider this the most humane thing a soldier can do for their brother.

Spare me the moralization and just re-watch those vids.  Seeing a video emerge of an Israeli soldier getting his throat slit would topple a govt.

Israel PM tells US ‘not to ever second-guess me again’

via The Guardian.

Following the quick collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza, the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, told the White House not to force a truce with Palestinian militants.
Sources familiar with conversations between Netanyahu and senior US officials, including the secretary of state, John Kerry, say the Israeli leader advised the Obama administration “not to ever second-guess me again” on the matter. The officials also said Netanyahu said he should be “trusted” on the issue and about the unwillingness of Hamas to enter into and follow through on ceasefire talks.
The Obama administration on Friday condemned “outrageous” violations of an internationally brokered Gaza ceasefire by Palestinian militants and called the apparent capture of an Israeli soldier a “barbaric” action.
The strong reaction came as top Israeli officials questioned the effort to forge the truce, accusing the US and the United Nations of being naive in assuming Hamas would adhere to its terms. The officials also blamed the Gulf state of Qatar for not forcing the militants to comply.

Naive?  Never second guess him again?

Do you remember the news report I linked to earlier this week that described President Obama as saying that the Israeli's weren't in a position to pick there mediators?

I'm more convinced than ever that report was spot on.

The bad thing for the US?  Our leadership around the world is now officially mud.  We aren't trusted and I believe many think we can't be counted on.  Worse for the administration is that they're probably viewed as being rank amateurs on the world stage.

The irony is delicious...and stunning.

How do you go from being a Noble Prize winner to a laughing stock in less than a few years?  We're seeing it happen right before our eyes.

Kidnapped IDF officer declared killed in combat.

via IDF Facebook Page.

A special IDF committee has concluded that Lt. Hadar Goldin was killed in combat in Gaza on Friday. May his memory be a blessing.

This is cryptic as hell.

Was he killed in the ambush?  Was he kidnapped and later killed by his Hamas kidnappers?  I don't know but the Israeli people will probably be asking the same questions.  More to come. 

Things are worse in Ukraine than we're being told.

Are we going to give the Ukrainians MRAPs?

Check out his story from USA Today...

The Pentagon is rushing new aid — including armored vehicles and increased training — to bolster Ukrainian forces fighting Russian-backed separatists, the Defense Department announced Friday.
The gear includes armored personnel carriers, cargo and patrol vehicles, binoculars, night vision goggles and small patrol boats, said Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman. The equipment is valued at $8 million and follows a similar $7 million package of equipment shipped in April.
Earlier on Friday, the Pentagon also announced a proposed $19 million aid package to help train Ukraine's National Guard forces. The money will help train four companies of soldiers and a headquarters element, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said. The proposal requires congressional approval and would begin in 2015. Trainers would come from U.S. forces in Europe or the California National Guard, which has partnered with Ukrainian troops in the past.

What type of armored vehicles are we providing---APCs, Cargo and Patrol vehicles can theoretically cover everything from Uparmored Humvees to Strykers?  They talk about patrol boats but this is a pure land campaign...why did they include patrol boats?

I mean no insult to the Ukrainian forces but they appear to be fighting a foe that is more motivated and with the added benefit of having Russian "advisers" fighting alongside them.

I don't think they can win this on the battlefield.  Ukraine will be sectioned off....its inevitable.

About bringing in those citizens infected with Ebola...UPDATE!

UPDATE:  The below is from the CDC's website.  The page has since been taken down but the WayBack Machine has an archived copy...

Although the disease is rare, it has the potential for person -to-person spread, ... number of droplets expelled into the air by talking, sneezing, o r coughing.

So spare me your normalcy bias.  I'm viewing this in a worse case scenario.  I do not know how we turned into a society that only looked at things through the prism of stuff working out as planned.  I wasn't raised that way and when I look at decisions like this its with an eye of what could go wrong...or more plainly...what happens when sugar turns to shit! 

I've been trying to wrap my head around the thinking that has led to US citizens with Ebola being brought into the country.

My questions......

1.  Does this make sense?  They're dazzling the public with all the precautions they're taking but if they weren't being brought into the country it wouldn't be necessary.  This disease has a 50 - 90% mortality rate.  From what I've read its a horrible way to go.  Why take the risk?

2.  Who actually approved this?  Can the CDC order that US citizens infected with a disease be brought into the country?  Would they have to get the approval of the President?  They aren't telling us who the decision maker was on this issue so we can't focus our questions....and rage at that person or agency.  Why aren't they telling us?

3.  What is the contingency planning if sugar turns to shit?  I haven't heard a thing about the Feds or more importantly what the State and Local govts will do in case the worst happens.  I was told from day one to always plan for the worst.  I can careless about the rosy predictions.  What will happen if this thing goes sideways.

4.  Word has it that the Pentagon is considering sending personnel to help with the outbreak.  The Peace Corps is bringing its people back home.  It has a 21 day incubation period.  Some of the Peace Corps volunteers can be bringing back an epidemic.  We're about to put servicemembers in a fire zone.  Is that smart?

I might be being alarmist but this whole thing smacks of bullshit.  I've seen the govt in action when it comes to disasters.  I've never seen them deal with an epidemic.

Confidence is not high.  Alarmist or not I will check preps.

IDF's order of battle in the Gaza fight...

via War is Boring Blog...

Not surprisingly—and which has been graphically demonstrated during the past two weeks—the Israeli invasion represents a huge deployment of the IDF’s ground combat power.
The IDF has committed its largest and heaviest ground unit, the 36th Storm Armored Division, into the fight. The 36th Division formerly was based in the Golan Heights near the Syrian border. The division’s three armored brigades—the 7th, 401st and 188th—all are in Gaza.
There also are at least three regular infantry brigades operating in Gaza. The 84th Givati Brigade, the Nahal Infantry Brigade and the 1st Golani Brigade.
Only the 84th Brigade is normally based in southern Israel—it also carries out amphibious operations, like the U.S. Marines. The IDF pulled the 1st Golani Brigade from its base in northern Israel. The Nahal Brigade normally is based near Jerusalem.
In addition, the IDF’s 35th Parachute Brigade and two Gaza Territorial Brigades are involved. This is in addition to a large—although highly secretive—number of commandos. The IDF also has called up a total of86,000 reservists.

Read the entire thing.

Consider this though.

Israel has pulled the cream of its military crop and put it into its fight.  They wouldn't have done this without some indication that a wider war wasn't in the cards.....having said that they need to finish this fight, get back the kidnapped soldier and put Hamas in the grave.

Get it done! 

Kevin Martin Pics....Your weekend wallpaper...

Swedish Airforce Gripen - Axalp, Switzerland 2013