I actually agree with much of what General Andrew Leslie, CF Ret. says about the latest Israel/Hamas conflict.
I do disagree with this part though.
Up until the moment the Israeli ground forces launch their invasion there had been three fatalities after 2,700 rockets have been fired at Israel, because they have a system to knock them down. So, tunnels [in Gaza] were not an issue at the time. They go in, they obviously get involved in the street fighting.
I think it’s quite obvious that Israel knew about the tunnels. I think Hamas kidnapping and murdering three Israeli teens was the spark.
As Gen. Leslie states, Israel had been rained on with missiles and did nothing, but as soon as the tunnels were used for terror against Israeli citizens, that’s when the fighting started.
Contrary to the General’s assumption that the missiles were Israels strategic objective, I think it is safe to say it was destruction of the tunnels. Once they were gone, Israel disengaged.
On the General’s point regarding ME backlash against Israel…The Saudi King, the Palestinian Authority and Eygpt beg to differ.
What an oxymoron a progressive general.
Given the quality of his political judgement, I am sure his troops must have loved him.
Spend lives and treasure to win the battle then surrender the war.
Funny how the NPD and Liberals are tap-dancing all around their anti Semitic base.
…He is the nominee for a Liberal riding right..???
From his tone and comments, THAT doesn’t surprise me.
And like most apologists, he differentiates between the “poor” Palestinian people and Hamas..Hmm when 60% vote for Hamas, it would seem to me they all be one and the same no..??
These are the same poor people who danced with abject joy in the streets on 9/11…no?
typical Liberal Apologist BS.
Leslie was my brigade commander years ago. We didn’t like him then, I like him him even less now. His fruity nature and condescending attitude have not faded with time. He’s still an a$$hole.
No rational ethical military brass would have anything to do with the sleaze found in the LPC – this Progie asshat is a sinecure seeker, not a general of any consequence.
We all know that the Saudis Egyptians etc would never lie or mislead anyone as to their actual agenda. In fact they must be the Arab equivilent of Altar Boys and would never lie or mislead us right? If this General Leslie is willing to go along with this BS then he will no doubt be a military advisor to Justine the 1ST when the time comes.
Lance is right. The condemnation by the Saudi monarchy is without precedent. It probably helps that Hamas is the tool of the mullahs in Teheran. But nevertheless this is the first time the Saudis have ever criticised Palestinian military activity.
I think Lance has also put his finger right on the motivation for the Israeli ground offensive and the reason it came to a halt. It was all about demolishing tunnels which cannot be done from the air.
Another thing Leslie has wrong is when he says, “So first of all, you have to establish a dialogue with all the warring factions. Just because you don’t like them, means you shouldn’t stop talking to them.”
How many decades has the talking gone on, all to no avail. The Islamists only want to talk when they need to resupply with rockets and ammo. Just as in September 1939 there is a time to recognize that talking is useless and only serves to strengthen your enemy.
Also, if Hamas has their rocket launchers deliberately place in areas that will surely result in civilian casualties then so be it. During WWII there was not much consideration given to the presence of German civilians in given areas and in fact on occasion the allies did deliberately target civilians.
True enough, Ken. The progressive mindset simply does not comprehend that there are situations where “peacekeeping” is irrelevant; there’s no peace to keep. The only thing that’s relevant is war-making. This is in part why assorted MSM reporters are running around in such disarray. They’ve never been confronted with such outright hatred and disdain for western democracy and civil rights. They literally do not know how to respond.
So their responses are the automatic “keep talking” because it’s the only thing they know how to do. Chairman Mao once famously said “Power grows from the barrel of a gun.” Seems his western progressive acolytes, the same ones who wear Che Guevara T shirts never really understood what that was all about. Yes indeed sometimes talking is what’s necessary. But often you have to kick ’em in the head a time or ten before they pay attention.
Time someone said it: like it or not, within a year we are going to be involved in a shooting war somewhere. And that, my friends, will be the real election issue for Shiny Pony and Grumpy Tom in 2015.
This clown is nothing more than a political Liberal whore.Always has been,and always will be. He deservers about as much respect as a p11sant.
What Robert L said. He was/is an arrogant prick.
The only war crime I am aware of involved the belligerent Hamas storing/launching rockets from UNRWA schools and other areas in the Gaza strip targeting Israeli citizens. There are 3 such known incidents in which the UN apologized to Israel for contravening the storage of arms in known buildings for civilian use…
http://www.timesofisrael.com/20-missiles-found-in-un-run-school-in-gaza/
Some 20 rockets were found Wednesday in a school in Gaza operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the organization confirmed Thursday.
The weapons were found in “the course of the regular inspection of its premises,” UNRWA said in a statement, adding that the school was vacant.
“UNRWA strongly condemns the group or groups responsible for placing the weapons in one of its installations. This is a flagrant violation of the inviolability of its premises under international law,” the statement read.
The discovery would seem to confirm Israel’s oft-repeated claim that Hamas and other Gazan terror groups use civilian infrastructure to hide weapons.
“Yet again, Gaza terrorists abuse UN facilities to carry out their violent activities. Hamas and other terror groups are determined to put civilians in harm’s way and will respect nothing in their violent frenzy,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor told The Times of Israel. “We expect the UN and the international community to condemn and to act strongly against this brazen violation of international humanitarian law, which endangers children and UN humanitarian activities.”
I have yet to see or hear any documented evidence in which ‘men, women, and children are indiscriminately fired upon by artillery’ on the part of Israel. Thus far I have seen no evidence that IDF used artillery other than to eradicate known rocket launch sites. Of course there is always proximate danger of civilians being near the launch sites, but then Hamas should be encouraging its civilians to seek shelter rather than populate launch sites.
This ridiculous type of behavior is even well known among Egyptian newscasters:
Egyptian TV Hosts Slam Hamas Leaders: We Are Sick and Tired of You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VtENBF_yjo
Son of Hamas Founder: ‘They Consider Dying for Their Ideology a Way of Worship’
http://cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/barbara-boland/son-hamas-founder-they-consider-dying-their-ideology-way-worship
Mosab Hassan Yousef (Son of Hamas Founder) tells the truth about Hamas.
Mosab Hassan Yousef, a Christian convert whose father was a founding member of Hamas, told CNN last week that for leaders in Gaza, “dying … is a way of worship.”
“Hamas does not care about the lives of Palestinians, or the lives of Israelis, or Americans; they don’t care about their own lives,” Yousef said. “They consider dying for their ideology a way of worship.”
“Can you coexist with someone whose mission is your destruction?” the CNN host asked.
“Hamas is not seeking coexistence and compromise; Hamas is seeking conquest,” Yousef said.
“The destruction of the state of Israel is not Hamas’ final destination. Hamas’ final destination is building an Islamic caliphate – an Islamic state on the rubble of every other civilization.”
Yousef said that Hamas targets civilians “as a tool of war” and that they were prepared for this from the age of 5 years old.
“It’s impossible almost for anyone to break through and see the real face of Hamas, and to leave,” said Yousef. “As you see in my case, I had to lose everything just to say ‘no’ to Hamas.”
“And today when I look at the children of Gaza, and I know what they are facing, I know that they have no choice,” Yousef added grimly.
From the Hamas Charter: Article 13
Peaceful Solutions, Initiatives and International Conferences:
Article Thirteen:
Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. Abusing any part of Palestine is abuse directed against part of religion. Nationalism of the Islamic Resistance Movement is part of its religion. Its members have been fed on that. For the sake of hoisting the banner of Allah over their homeland they fight. “Allah will be prominent, but most people do not know.”
Now and then the call goes out for the convening of an international conference to look for ways of solving the (Palestinian) question. Some accept, others reject the idea, for this or other reason, with one stipulation or more for consent to convening the conference and participating in it. Knowing the parties constituting the conference, their past and present attitudes towards Moslem problems, the Islamic Resistance Movement does not consider these conferences capable of realising the demands, restoring the rights or doing justice to the oppressed. These conferences are only ways of setting the infidels in the land of the Moslems as arbitraters. When did the infidels do justice to the believers?
“But the Jews will not be pleased with thee, neither the Christians, until thou follow their religion; say, The direction of Allah is the true direction. And verily if thou follow their desires, after the knowledge which hath been given thee, thou shalt find no patron or protector against Allah.” (The Cow – verse 120).
There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors. The Palestinian people know better than to consent to having their future, rights and fate toyed with. As in said in the honourable Hadith:
“The people of Syria are Allah’s lash in His land. He wreaks His vengeance through them against whomsoever He wishes among His slaves It is unthinkable that those who are double-faced among them should prosper over the faithful. They will certainly die out of grief and desperation.”
If retired General Leslie is going to make these specific allegations, one would presume that he would proffer substantial evidence of what amounts to war crimes.
Obviously, the schools above are named “Vergeltungswaffen Schule”
I’m sure they were teaching them all about the finer points of the V-1 and V-2 rockets.
I rather suspect that ret General Leslie is angling for an army boot to the backside…for a monumentally stupid statement. Moreover, he should damn well know better.
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
Add leslie to the line up of liberal loose cannons that are going to ensure whats-his-name never gets to be PM.
I doubt highly, from the accuracy of IDF munitions, that any shot fired was done so indiscriminately. From all appearances, seems they hit what they aimed at with minimum loss of human life…..the caveat being that jihadi’s behaviour should not be deemed human.
Leslie is Canadian Army aristocracy (related to Andrew McNaughton). Said aristocracy is like the Public Service/Foreign Affairs aristocracy (think Teflon Bob Fowler). At that level, they’re all Liberals with indexed pensions.
Hard to pack that much clueless, incorrect, misunderstood and dumbass in one brief interview.
And he fancies himself as the Defence Minister in a Trudeau Cabinet. That would be a walking, talking disaster.
He doesn’t look too bright to start with, he’s opened his mouth and proved it. He’s certainly a fit with the Trudeau doctrine but PET junior and this clod would be a disaster for the safety and security of this country.
Occam “No rational ethical military brass would have anything to do with the sleaze found in the LPC – this Progie asshat is a sinecure seeker, not a general of any consequence.”
The sleaze factor in politics is not unlike the sleaze factor in the military. 125 generals and 300 full colonels to run a military of 60,000. Based on numbers we NEED maybe 25 generals and no colonels. Full colonels used to be an oddity with lieutenant colonels normally promoted to brigadier general. Note that a major general doing the job of a captain isn’t any smarter than a captain. Senior leadership in the Canadian military are all whores.
“…Senior leadership in the Canadian military are all whores….”
There are probably some exceptions to that scar, but your sweeping generalization was largely supported by the conclusions of the Somalia Inquiry that addressed the many gross deficiencies of the officer corps in our armed forces. Careerism, suck-holing, back-stabbing, and visible minority crap will get you to the top a hell of a lot faster than boring old merit or innovative thinking will. And you could take that template and it would fit like a glove on the hierarchy of our largest police forces.
Leslie and Dallaire seem cut from the same cloth, promoted due to affirmative action or politicking,and not much use in war or war-like actions.
If the entire general staff of the CAF are like these two, we are in deep sh** if the Russians ever DO get ugly up North.
While most Parliamentarians have 1 or 2 lines, here is Romeo Dallaire’s military service on the Parliament website – his career says useless bureaucrat devoid of any significant accomplishment – time for another swim;
National Defence Headquarters Chief of Staff to the Assistant Deputy Minister (Personnel) Group, 1996. Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources-Military), 1998. Special Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff and Officer Professional Development, 1999. Retired from the Canadian Forces on April 18, 2000. 1996 – 2000
Canadian Forces (Army) For Quebec Area, Montreal. Presented with the Vimy Award by the Conference of Defence Associations, June 1995. Awarded the United States Legion of Merit, January 1996. Commander 1995 – 1996
1st Canadian Division Commander 1994.09 – 1995.10
Land Force Command In St-Hubert, Quebec. Deputy Commander 1994.09 – 1995.10
United Nations UN Observer Mission – Uganda and Rwanda (UNOMUR) and the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), Africa. Awarded the Meritorious Service Cross; UNOMUR Medal; UNAMIR medal. Commander 1993 – 1994
5th Canadian Mechanic Brigade Group Commander 1991 – 1993
Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean Student (U.K.) (HCSC) (1991) Commandant 1989 – 1991
National Defence Headquarters Director of Land Force Requirements and Director of Artillery, 1988-1989. 1985 – 1989
Regional Support Staff Commanding Officer 1983 – 1985
5th Regiment, Canadian Artillery Valcartier, Québec. Commander 1983 – 1985
Canadian Forces (Army) Eastern Area. Deputy Chief of Staff 1982 – 1983
Canadian Forces (Army) To the Deputy Commander, Land. Executive Assistant 1981 – 1982
Canadian Forces (Army) Attended the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College (USMCCSC) in Virginia, 1980-1981. Battery Commander 1978 – 1980
Ops & Standards (Artillery School) 1976 – 1978
Canadian Forces (Army) Served in Germany. Awarded Special Service Medal. Battery Officer 1973 – 1976
RSS Officer 1971 – 1973
Canadian Forces (Army) Para course, 1971. Troop Officer 1969 – 1971
Canadian Army Enroled in the Canadian Army, September 3, 1964. Attended the Collège Militaire Royal de St-Jean, Quebec, and graduated with a Bachelor of Sciences from the Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario. Also attended the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in Kingston, Ontario. Student / Officer Cadet 1964.09.03 – 1969
Reserve Militia Cadet 1960 – 1964
If you suckhole and parrot your bosses throughout your military career it makes for an easy transition into politics.