[emersonbiggins]

Does anyone know why Israel keeps pounding Beirut's runway? I know runways are substantial in their engineering, but give me a break. Are surveyors and concrete trucks at the gate, ready to do patchwork? I doubt it. So, what gives?

[SoothSayer]

1. To stop the hostages being flown to Iran

2. To stop the regular Iranian->Hizbollah "arms shuttle" 747 landing.

That's why bridges and roads are being hit too.

[emersonbiggins]

No, I realize why they're hitting the airport. My question is why has it taken three days of bombing to do it? It's not like 747s can successfully navigate a pockmarked runway. A few hours of heavy shelling should do the trick, not three days' worth. That's excessive, in my mind.

(Not that I've spent time demolishing runways, mind you... )

[katkinkate]

Maybe they want to make sure it's unrepairable for a long time to come.

[PenultimateManStanding]

Maybe they read spec telling them to "get some".

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'M')aybe they read spec telling them to "get some".

[Dreamtwister]

Runways can be repaired very quickly. Even during a state of war in a third world sandbox like Lebanon, we're talking 1 week, tops.

Israel will probably have to keep constant pressure on the airport until it's behind their lines. It won't prevent arms shipments (they can still be air-dropped), nor will it prevent the hostages from being moved out of the area (helecoptors don't need runways), but it keeps Lebanon from deploying any air assets of their own, and prevents other nations from transfering their own air assets to Lebanon.

[emersonbiggins]

BREAKING NEWS:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'L')owe's Home Improvement announces that they will not be shipping Quikrete™ products to the country of Lebanon, despite an apparent surge in demand for the product. It is currently backordered indefinitely.

[Eli]

The other possibility is that the airport is a safe hard target to hit.

Once the area is cleared and people know that it is going to get hit Israel can bomb it indiscriminately.

The problem that Israel has with hitting Hezbollah is that all the best targets are surrounded by noncoms.

Israel is not conducting all out war other wise all of southern Lebanon and Beirut would be flattened ala the bombing of Dresden in WWII.

[SoothSayer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'N')o, I realize why they're hitting the airport. My question is why has it taken three days of bombing to do it? It's not like 747s can successfully navigate a pockmarked runway. A few hours of heavy shelling should do the trick, not three days' worth. That's excessive, in my mind.

(Not that I've spent time demolishing runways, mind you... )

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SoothSayer', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'N')o, I realize why they're hitting the airport. My question is why has it taken three days of bombing to do it? It's not like 747s can successfully navigate a pockmarked runway. A few hours of heavy shelling should do the trick, not three days' worth. That's excessive, in my mind.

(Not that I've spent time demolishing runways, mind you... )

[PrairieMule]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'D')oes anyone know why Israel keeps pounding Beirut's runway? I know runways are substantial in their engineering, but give me a break. Are surveyors and concrete trucks at the gate, ready to do patchwork? I doubt it. So, what gives?

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'D')oes anyone know why Israel keeps pounding Beirut's runway?

[Grimnir]

They need to bomb something to keep the pressure on, and the airport's safe, easy, and relatively legitimate.

[SoothSayer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Grimnir', 'T')hey need to bomb something to keep the pressure on, and the airport's safe, easy, and relatively legitimate.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'M')aybe they read spec telling them to "get some".

[PrairieMule]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'M')aybe they read spec telling them to "get some".

[rogerhb]

So what is the difference between suicide bombing a bus and bombing an airport and civilian infrastructure?

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', 'S')o what is the difference between suicide bombing a bus and bombing an airport and civilian infrastructure?