The complete idiot’s guide to Mideast peace – part 178

Heavy fighting reported across Gaza as rockets fired at Tel Aviv area | The Times of Israel  ‘Kerry heading to Israel in ceasefire bid; heavy rocket fire on south, center; Obama calls for immediate ceasefire on 2012 terms; soldiers laid to rest; Israel suffers casualties as IDF thwarts tunnel attacks, killing at least 10 infiltrators from Gaza’

Here in the UK, the last time anything like this happened was when V1 and V2 rockets were falling on London and the Home counties. These killed 9,000 Londoners and injured 25,000 more. Some defensive measures could be taken against the slower V1 missiles but the V2 proved much too fast and nothing could stop them. Fortunately, the invasion of Europe overran many of the launch sites and pushed back others until they were beyond the range needed to mount attacks on the mainland.

Not much, it seems, has changed in the intervening years. The standard response to rocket attacks, even these days, is to destroy them in flight and eliminate their launch platforms by means of bombing or seizing these by force. And still lots of people die as a result, now just as then.

Surely, after the length of time that has passed, a far more up-to-date and sophisticated defence can be mounted against this type of warfare and, by extension, all other forms of much the same thing.

It might be interesting to speculate on just how long World War 2 would have lasted had the following arrangement been in place prior to its commencement. Indeed, further consideration could then be given in relation to many other wars, especially those still with us at this moment.

www.laxiankey.com – ‘ for those of us with better things to do.’

HOW LONG BEFORE COST CONSIDERATIONS MAKE ALL THIS INTO A VIRTUAL REALITY?