> Tariq said that an under-reported aspect of Israel's unhappy
> experience in Lebanon was that, in contrast with a stoked Hezbollah,
> the IDF is now full of members of the global slacker class who just
> didn't want to be there. Any thoughts on this?
In their three-part article in the Asia Times last week (I think Joanna posted the link) Crooke and Perry allude to this:
[...]
Much to their surprise, Hezbollah commanders found that Israeli troops were poorly organized and disciplined. The only Israeli unit that performed up to standards was the Golani Brigade, according to Lebanese observers. The IDF was "a motley assortment", one official with a deep knowledge of US slang reported. "But that's what happens when you have spent four decades firing rubber bullets at women and children in the West Bank and Gaza."
IDF commanders were also disturbed by the performance of their troops, noting a signal lack of discipline even among its best-trained regular soldiers. The reserves were worse, and IDF commanders hesitated to put them into battle.
[...]
full: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HJ13Ak01.html
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Colin Brace
Amsterdam