Considering.

This is coolbert:

Gonna go over like the lead balloon I am afraid.

Peacekeeping mission Gaza. Grand strategy considerations Gaza. But CONDITIONAL!

Lead balloon idiom:  "The “lead balloon” idiom is a common English expression that means something fails or is extremely badly received. It is often used to describe a situation where an idea, proposal, or attempt is met with strong disapproval or rejection"

"US wants Arab states to join peacekeeping force in Gaza"

"US Pres. Biden won't send American troops into Gaza - but wants Arab states to do so for him, Financial Times report says. Arab states condition agreement on US recognition of 'Palestine.'"

From https://www.israelnationalnews.com  | Miriam Alster/Flash90 | May 15, 2024.

"The Biden administration is urging Arab states to join a 'peacekeeping' force which would control Gaza once the war ends, the Financial Times reported."

"The initiative aims to fill the vacuum which would be created in Gaza once Hamas is toppled and until a 'credible Palestinian security apparatus' could be established."

"Among the countries the US has been discussing its plans with are Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco, all of which are 'considering' the initiative. The US has also spoken to Saudi Arabia about the plan, but the Saudis are unwilling to deploy their own forces to the area, for fear of being seen as Israel's allies, or drawn into an insurgency in Gaza."

Saudi too occupied with their own troubles in Yemen. The Hootie-Tootie a stone in the shoe.

Consider this another pie-in-the-sky proposal that sounds good on paper but nothing more than that.

"pie in the sky: noun - A fanciful notion; ludicrous concept; the illusory promise of a desired outcome that is unlikely to happen."

With regard to Grand Strategy considerations, the American senior military man General Marshall had three full years to prepare for the aftermath of the WW2 prior to final German surrender May 1945.

See also from this prior blog entry the Israeli Grand Strategy plan Gaza:

coolbert.

Range 68.

This is coolbert:

“'For the last two decades, what we see is that this tactic has indeed become more popular with non-state actors,' . . . 'It is spreading as a global security threat, from theater to theater'.” - Richemond-Barak.

"The Army has stepped up its training for tunnel warfare, a dangerous — and growing — form of combat"

WUNC | By Jay Price | May 14, 2024. 

"After seven months of war in Gaza, Israel has still probed little of what's believed to be hundreds of miles of tunnels — an underground network that Hamas uses for refuge, to hide hostages, to move around undetected — and to pop out unexpectedly and fight."

"Tunnel warfare is becoming a common tactic on modern battlefields, and it's one of most dangerous forms of combat, especially for the attackers."

"That is why groups like Hamas, ISIS, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda have built underground facilities, seeking to blunt the advantages of the militaries hunting them"

"Geopolitical foes of the United States, such as China, North Korea, Iran and Russia, also are pushing more of their military and nuclear facilities underground, prompting the U.S. to increase its focus on tunnel warfare."

Fort Liberty [Bragg] Range 68 the tunnel constructed to train American troops for future military operations against a determined enemy occupying the "low-ground". No claustrophobic persons apply.

See merely with regard to the Gazan War previous blog entries the tunnels of Gaza: 

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/12/seawater_20.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/12/seawater.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/11/sponge.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/11/underground.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2023/11/labyrinth.html

coolbert.

Trolls.

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American army the NATO far north. Trolls beware!

 "The exercise was the first time in decades that a major Army maneuver unit had traveled so far in Europe."

"10th Mountain Division rolls more than 500 miles across Finland, Sweden and Norway"

"The exercise was the first convoy operation in the heart of the newest NATO members, Sweden and Finland."

From https://taskandpurpose.com | BY PATTY NIEBERG | MAY 13, 2024.

"Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division recently completed an unprecedented 550-mile [nearly 900 kilometers] road trip across Norway, Sweden and Finland in which troops dealt with long-distance logistics, local laws and infrastructure regulations. It also meant keeping a sharp eye out for local wildlife."

[. . . .]

"Over the course of five days in late April, the Army’s 10th Mountain Division moved a convoy of 400 soldiers, 165 vehicles, and thousands of tons of equipment through small Scandinavian towns, around fjords, and across three different countries on a 550-mile[nearly 900 kilometers] road march."

See From Independent Barents Observer an article presumably as applicable to the road march. Vehicles and supplies being pre-positioned the far Arctic north to be used by the American 10th Mountain Division in case of war between Russia and NATO. Gear as delivered by RoRo vessels.

coolbert.

Purging.

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Like in the old Soviet Union but on a much lesser scale. Persons out-of-favor by the big boss previously on top now at the bottom.

Kuznetsov off to the off to the Gulag or the modern day equivalent.

1. "Head of Main Personnel Directorate of Russia’s Defense Ministry Yuri Kuznetsov detained"

"A search was conducted at both Kuznetsov's job and his home, other specifics about the criminal case have not been revealed, law enforcement agencies told TASS"

From https://tass.com | © Sergei Bobylev/TASS.

"MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, was detained, law enforcement agencies told TASS."

"Lieutenant General General Kuznetsov was detained as a suspect in a criminal offense."

2. "Russian general Yuri Kuznetsov dragged out bed at 5am by cops as three more defense chiefs resign after Shoigu sacked"

"Lt-Gen Yuri Kuznetsov was arrested  'on suspicion of criminal activity' just after Putin dismissed his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu"

From https://www.thesun.co.uk | Aliki KraterouWill Stewart | 14 May 2024.

"A RUSSIAN general was dragged out of his bed at 5am to be taken into detention facing 'criminal charges over state secrets' in Vladimir Putin's latest purge."

"Lt-Gen Yuri Kuznetsov, 55, was arrested by heavily armed cops in balaclavas who smashed their way into his home using crowbars."

Yuri I strongly suspect whisked off for rigorous interrogation regarding his activities during the Ukraine Conflict. Vlad wanting to make examples of a few [maybe more than a few] high ranking personalities, military and civilian.

Sign the statement now! It will be for your own good.

coolbert.

Belousov.

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"'The key task, of course, remains achieving victory. Ensuring the achievement of the military-political goals of the special military operation, set by the president. At the same time - I want to specifically emphasize this - with minimal human losses'" 

The new man speaks. The first utterances of Belousov as Russian Minister of Defense.

"Belousov says Russia must win in Ukraine while minimizing casualties"

From https://www.reuters.com | By Guy Faulconbridge and Mark Trevelyan | May 14, 2024.

* "Putin nominee stresses need to minimize human losses"

* "Belousov says military sector needs innovation, efficiency"

* "He takes over a ministry embroiled in corruption scandal"

"MOSCOW, May 14 (Reuters) - Russia's main task is to achieve victory on the battlefield in Ukraine with the minimal loss of troops, incoming defense minister Andrei Belousov said on Tuesday."

"Belousov, an economist whom President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly nominated on Sunday to replace Sergei Shoigu, said the military sector needed more efficiency and innovation in order to achieve its goals."

For some strange reason this Andrei reminds me greatly of the American Robert S. McNamara from the era of the Cold/Vietnam War era.

The genius [both were economists] experts at metrics, efficiency, goals. Neither having experience as a professional military man [McNamara did see uniformed service during the Second World as an operational research analyst] but chosen as perceived accomplished individuals of gravitas that can  "shake things up".

Andrei in particular with his background more able to organize and mobilize the entire Russian society in a more efficient and needed approach for the Ukraine Conflict. A practitioner of Grand Strategy. All being done in a more HUMANE style and method. If you assume war can be waged in a HUMANE manner.

coolbert.

Harba Darbu.

This is coolbert:

From a source that will go unnamed for all eternity.

Israeli rap song # 1 on the charts. Musical response to the Gazan War. If you are so bold to refer to rap as music.

“'Harbu Darbu' is a rap song in Hebrew written in the wake of October 7th that reached No. 1 on the Israeli charts. A rough translation of the opening:

"A bunch of fucker rats getting out of the tunnel

Acting like thugs you idiots I swear there will be no forgiveness

Who do you think you’re coming here to yell 'Palestine for free' at?!

Ptui, you sons of Amalek!

Hop, Bomb Squad!

Left right left, how the whole country is in uniform from the Galilee to Eilat

Fighters, Duvdevan and Magav, Qaraqal, Bardelas

We’ve brought the whole army and I swear there will be no forgiveness

(Mekha)bella Hadid, Dua Lipa, Mia Khalifa

Every dog gets what he deserves in the end

All IDF units are coming to do Harbu Darbu on their head"

Need I make comments or further elucidation? I think not.

coolbert.

AFTER.

 

This is coolbert

The day AFTER in wartime usually referring to plans formulated and to be implemented with a cessation of hostilities. Grand strategy as normally understood.

Combat action Gaza once again hot-and-heavy. Area of the northern part of the Gaza Strip as previously declared "secure" by the Israel army seemingly not so!

"As defense chiefs confront Netanyahu over Gaza's 'day after,' three IDF divisions back in Gaza"

"The IDF said it had attacked over 150 targets on Saturday-Sunday, including using a wide range of air and artillery power, a heavy increase in the use of more destructive Israeli war machines."

From https://www.jpost.com | By YONAH JEREMY BOB, JERUSALEM POST STAFF | MAY 12, 2024.

[. . . . ]

"While the high point of the invasion in October-November had five divisions in Gaza, there was only one division, the 162nd, still there by April 7, and even that division was no longer at full strength."

"Total strength at this exact juncture three DIVISIONAL sized elements FULL strength."

"This means that the IDF is about halfway back to its full strength point in Gaza earlier in the war and signals the failure to prevent Hamas from quickly returning to power after seven months of war"

ETERNAL insurgency! The insurgent wins by outlasting the opponent. I imagine those Hamas personnel surviving deep underground in the tunnels and hardened bunkers waiting for that moment to emerge and create a lot of aggravation of the IDF. And ARE doing so.

From a comment to the article:

xx9100

"I don't understand this war. Israel takes land, clear it out and leaves. Hamas moves back in. Israel returns and clears again. Rinse and repeat. 

Normally when the army takes land they stay there until the war is completely over. What game is at play"

From my perspective that as experience of the American army during the Second Indo-China War.

coolbert.