Golani.

This is coolbert:

It seems the Israeli army is having a very hard time dealing with the Hezbollah "fighters" in Lebanon.

Israeli units, primarily the "Golani" brigade, have suffered casualties that are normally unacceptable for ANY Israeli army force. Especially one fighting a foe who is generally considered to be "terrorists" or guerillas.

Hezbollah seems to hold the advantage in this latest round of Middle East combat.

Has seized the initiative and is holding it.

* Hezbollah attacks an Israeli base, kills Israeli soldiers, captures [kidnaps] two.

[Israel responds]

* Hezbollah fires rocket artillery into Israel.

[Israel responds]

* Israeli troops cross the Lebanese border to "take out" Hezbollah positions.

[Hezbollah ambushes the Israeli, fights from prepared defensive positions and succeeds in making the Israeli respond to them!!]

This seems to be a decided shock to Israeli commanders and the general Israeli public at large. NOT something the Jewish state is accustomed to. NOT having the initiative is considered to be a big minus in warfare, period.

As covered in today's Chicago Tribune:

"When [the army] falls into ambushes time after time, and is surprised each time anew, this series of events has to be stopped." Rafi Noy, a retired general and former chief of staff in the army's northern command told Channel Two television. "It's not good when this happens to an army that is so [well] trained and so [well] professional."

[this is the type of thing that happened to the U.S. Army in Vietnam over and over too!!]

That says a lot.

This war IS NOT going well for Israel.

coolbert.