This military action lacks all the flare of the Yom Kippur war...and I think what Israel lacks most are leaders with character. Sharon has character - but not the right kind, pardon my unPC perception but he sort of seems like a cross between a mafiosi and Jabba.

The world can't rally around such an unsympathetic figure. In fact, it is much easy to dismiss the whole Israeli situation because of this one man and the impressions, conscious and unconscious, he evokes.

What the Israeli's need is another Moshe Dayan, eyepatch and all - a sort of buccaneering, adventurous, self-defense image.

The Sharon image is not salable. Neither is this current "terrorist infrastructure dismantling."

Powell is being rebuked - and his journey a wasted one.

When the dust has cleared and the EU-centric red cross comes in to do humanitarian studies of what has occurred - Israel will likely be politically castrated and further isolated from the west, weakening it's position.

The banning of medical aid to the injured and dying will go towards inquiries of war crimes. Declaring whole towns as battlefronts, devoid of medics - doesn't quite pass international muster.

The real problem is fairly obvious - terrorist bombers are still able to penetrate Israeli defenses and screens, even at the height of their military action and "dismantling".

The truth of the matter is this: All this military action did was thwart the US efforts to get arab's to commit to standing aside as we grab Hussein. This again is Israeli self-interest - for Israeli intelligence was the one railing the loudest as we brokered deals and forged new alliances with Pakistan and its Muslim leaders. A pro-US Iraq would leave Israel's primary political support from the jewish populations in the US, having lost any strategic significance.

And at the bottom of Israel's and Sharons efforts to destabilize is simple -it has always been feared that the Gentiles will always sacrifice Jews if they have no self-interest in keeping them around.

Explosives can be made with simple household goods. Grabbing a Palestinian' woman's bottle of windex may prevent one terror attack - while inspiring another.

The Israeli position simply does not lend itself to the peace process OR greater security. Were I in Israel right now - I would feel less secure than ever. I would be convinced that Sharon has thrown out the baby with the bathwater - and done so intentionally.

He is not dismantling SAMs in Egypt. He is destroying "bomb factories". Well, any house in the Palestinian territories can become a bomb factory with little effort. Destroying these things is like squishing ants and expecting to destroy the colony. No, in this situation, the only way to insure security is to destroy the resolve which exists to kill your people. One cannot look at all Palestinians or Arabs and say they want to destroy Israel - for they all do not. The fundamentalists and the fanatics will not be content to live at peace with Israel - but their numbers are fewer than they were 29 years ago.

Wanton destruction, defiance of the US who supplies your weapons and primary international support, and a media and medic lockout - may work in the mountains of Afghanistan against military positions - but against a civilian population it is sheer folly.

In this day and age - some day one of these terrorists will be packing more than just conventional explosives or plastique - but will be the world's first nuclear kamikaze.

The aftermath of these regions - and the hatreds borne out in these weeks will give the terrorists - an AMPLE supply of volunteers. And unfortunately not just volunteers - but MONEY.

Yes, the word is already out - the Arabs states have already opened their purse strings - and money for nuclear terrorists is now on the table. Combine this money with sophisticated technology available in Arab sympathetic EU countries - notorious for supplying Hussein and Iran with materials for WOMD - and a recipe for mid-east armageddon is already in the kitchen awaiting the chefs to cook it up.

Sharon probably feels he wont be around to see it - this will be his last hurrah - and a slap back at the Arabs who snuck across the borders in 1973, disabled the flaming waters defense and the Bar-Lev line, surprising some 600 Israeli troops completely.

However, when he is gone, or perhaps even before - the fruits from the seeds planted this day - kids, teens, young adults - will grow and mature and likely will be horrible indeed.

Perhaps Powell can comfort Israel's leadership - tell them that the political support for Israel is sufficient to sustain it - regardless of any future lack of strategic significance.

In fact, they must be made to see how a US-friendly Iraq will lighten up the whole region and put a whole new face on the western-muslim relationship.

Time will tell...