I don’t really like going to the well to many times in a row for articles but here we are again with two important stories from a couple of my favorite podcasts… and I’ve been busy.
First, we will discuss the remarkable intelligence gathering apparatus the IDF used to basically eliminate the entire military chain of command for Hezbollah. But instead of listing key points of how great they are, I have decided to list principles Israel employed after what some have perceived, are intelligence failures in 2006. It is my belief that these 8-principles could be applied by anyone after any sort of setback and can be utilized for improvement. Afterall, sometimes a setback is a setup.
8 Universal Principles to Recover from Adversity
- Reorientation – Israel reorientated their intelligence gathering efforts.
- Commitment – Israel committed to years of analysis by opening their intelligence aperture.
- Agility – Took advantage of a change in the battlefield when Hezbollah began working in Syria.
- Exploit other’s vulnerabilities – Hezbollah massively expanded their ranks creating a vulnerability.
- Expand your capabilities – Sought out and effectively employed new technology.
- Patience – Their commitment to their goal allowed for this remarkable success.
- Diligence – Literal decades of commitment and attention to detail made this possible.
- Creativity – A shell company to create pager bombs could be the coolest special operation anyone has ever witnessed.
The list could probably go on, or even shortened by one or two but you get the point. Israel was faced with adversity and instead of folding under the pressure or getting locked into a ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ mindset, they were introspective and committed to success and it led to a remarkable accomplishment. You can listen to the full episode here:
For the second part of this short article, we go to an update on the Israel – Iran conflict. Yes, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis are a part of the overall conflict but there was a significant escalation in the Main Event last night. Key quotes from the latest School of War Podcast with guest Mark Dubowitz the Chief Executive Officer with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy. (These are not necessarily direct quotes, but I believe they convey the intended sentiment.)
-Iranian intentions in the latest response was generally limited in scope with a U.S. response possible but most likely not directly.
-Iran is for the first time exposed due to the degradation of their proxies but Israel should be cautious with celebrating the recent successes. Afterall, Khomeini has been in power for 35 years and has demonstrated that he is wily, ruthless, strategic, and patient. Hezbollah still has a potent arsenal, Hamas is not defeated, and Iran is building their weapon of mass destruction vs. the conflicts of mass distraction.
-A belief that toppling the regime in Iran is a fundamental shift in Israel’s strategy but don’t say regime change. The U.S. should support a policy of maximum support, and this includes the Iranian people.
-Israel cannot allow Iran to go nuclear.
-A new nuclear deal is possible but will be very difficult.
There is so much more, and you really should listen to the entire episode below.