IDF said to be ready to free Shalit by force
Speaking at a ceremony marking one year since the kidnapping of IDF corporal Gilad Shalit, Lieutenant Colonel Yoav Tilan - Shalit's battalion commander - said that the IDF is 'prepared to carry out an operation to free Gilad Shalit' if the government gives them the green light to do so.Hat Tip: NY Nana
A few observations on this story: First, if it's true that the IDF has prepared an operation to free Shalit, Tilan is a blithering idiot for disclosing it. Don't look for him to be Chief of Staff in this lifetime.
Second, I don't doubt that the IDF has prepared operational plans to free Shalit, and I find it hard to believe they don't know where he is.
Third, unfortunately, none of this means he will be freed. If the IDF actually tries to carry out an 'operation' the terrorists are likely to put a bullet in Shalit's head. Think Nachshon Wachsman.
Shalit's best chance of freedom (other than being exchanged for terrorists) would be if the IDF is operating near where he is being held and he manages to make a run for it.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:59 PM
3 Comments:
I don't think the IDF knows his exact location. Last summer's war would have been shorter, and the IDF would have already tried to rescue him, even knowing the chances for survival in such a case are low.
Also, Tilan might have mentioned the operation publicly because everyone knows that the IDF would have already made operational plans. It might have been a political/negotiating move to let the terrorist thugs know the we mean business.
Yishai,
I don't think they knew last summer. I think they know now and that they probably found out from some of Dahlan's people who escaped from Gaza. I doubt they rescued all those people with no quid pro quo.
Tilan's 'threats' are rather empty. Terrorists laugh at that sort of thing. It's like Ehud Barak saying 'we will know when to hit back.' Better to keep your mouth shut and just hit already.
Carl
Thanks for the hat tip... Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Nachshon Wachsman HY"D? I fear terribly that the 3 now captive may very well share Nachshon Wachsman's fate in the hands of the cult of islam, G-d forbid..
I agree with what you said re Tilan. But it seems that Olmerde also likes to send out a warning in enough time to ruin any chance of a surprise, and actual success.
Is that 'if' the key word?
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