Hizbullah is Winning

Hizbullah is winning, not militarily, but politically. It is seen worldwide as a hero among those sympathetic to the Palestinian's plight and seeing Israel as a bully killing innocent women and children. What has been thought of as the single most effective military force in the world has been effectively repelled by a militia of a few thousand. No, not repelled militarily, but by seeking to limit casualties, they are making little progress at stopping the missiles, in fact the missiles are coming more frequently than ever. Iran and Syria's stature as the leader of the resistance to Israel rises with Hizbullah. Hamas's fortunes have been similar and it's stature has reached heroic proportions.
Apparently, Dubya has been one of the admirers of the Israeli military. That's why he was such a pushover for the neo-cons. So when Israel claims it's right to defend itself, Dubya is the head-cheerleader. The point Israelis and their supporters keep missing is that the agenda of "defending itself" is not about strategy, it's about re-elections. The voters in Israel scream en mass, "It has to stop, do something!" And Israel does. Empowered by a population fearful of annihilation, the hawks have been in power for many years. Anyone in Israel who dares to say they might be losing the war on terror, is committing political suicide.
But the reality is that terrorism is not about winning militarily, it's about winning the hearts and minds of the populous. Israel may well win this battle, but they are condemning themselves to perpetual warfare, by creating a new generation of terrorists every time a Palestinian or in this case, Lebanese Shia neighborhood is bombed and innocent families die.
The lesson of Vietnam was not just about waging a war that was not popular, not just about wage a war directed by politicians seeking to minimize political damage, it's about fighting a mechanized war against a people who are armed and living with and fighting for their families. You can't win a guerrilla war without the support of the population living where the guerrilla fighters live and eat. Unless you intend to commit genocide.
Hamas and Hizbullah should not be confused with Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is an organization with worldwide ambitions, and only the benefit of themselves at risk. The rank and file of Hamas and Hizbullah defend their homes and families, regardless of who funds their weapons.
Newsweek

[...]The bottom line: Hizbullah is winning. That’s the hideous truth about the direction this war is taking, not in spite of the way the Israelis have waged their counterattack, but precisely because of it.


We’re talking about a militia—a small guerrilla army of a few thousand fighters, in fact—that plays all the dirty games that guerrillas always play. It blends in with the local population. It draws fire against innocents. But it’s also fighting like hell against an Israeli military machine that is supposed to be world class. And despite the onslaught of the much-vaunted Tsahal, Hizbullah continues to pepper Israel itself with hundreds of rockets a day.


Neither U.S. nor Israeli policymakers have taken this dynamic into account. If they had, they’d understand that with each passing day, no matter how many casualties it takes, Hizbullah’s political power grows.


As in Iraq three years ago, the administration has been blinded to the political realities by shock-and-awe military firepower. Clinging to its faith in precision-guided munitions and cluster bombs, it has decided to let Lebanon bleed, as if that’s the way to build the future for peace and democracy.