Friday, September 04, 2015

Will We Run?

Sinai peacekeepers were attacked by jihadis. Let's hope this isn't the starting gun to run away.

Jihadis attacked us in a new location:

Six soldiers including four Americans were injured on Thursday in two blasts in northeast Sinai caused by improvised explosive devices, the Pentagon said.

The Multinational Force and Observer peacekeepers were evacuated "by air to a medical facility where all are receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries," Captain Jeff Davis said in a statement.

We already cited the threat to our troops there in what was perhaps a trial balloon for just running away from this commitment to peace.

I know, staying to keep the peace after a war is considered the ultimate mistake for American foreign policy. Never mind Germany, Japan, Italy, and South Korea.

So I worry about the future of the MFO kept in place for about 35 years now to keep Israel and Egypt from going to war.

By all means, don't ignore the threats. Beef up defenses and surveillance. Increase coordination with Egyptian and Israeli forces. But running would be an error.

UPDATE: Almost a week later I see we will reinforce our 700+ contingent with 75 more troops:

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the deployment included a light infantry platoon and forward surgical teams, as well equipment and vehicles.

Good. We need to be hard targets who will hurt attackers so much that they go elsewhere.