Abraham Lincoln wrote on February 15, 1848

Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object.

With that in mind, take note of the Hizbullah leader’s reflections on starting a war with Israel:

…Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that had he believed, even one percent, that a war would break out following the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers, the operation would never have been launched.

Kidnapping two IDF soldiers and then firing thousands of rockets into civilian areas…he makes it sound like he made one little mistake and everything afterwards was out of his control. Reminds me of Nasrallah’s apology to his political rivals only a few months ago

for the abusive slogans against [opposition leaders] during a recent pro-Syria Shiite demonstration in South Lebanon’s market town of Nabatiyeh. […] Portraits were raised in the Nabatiyeh demonstration depicting Jumblat as a Jewish Rabbi and Tueni as a bull with long horns.

Rabbi and a bull? Sounds like the start of joke. Nasrallah apparently comes from the political “it’s better to shoot first and ask for forgiveness” school of tactics. But seriously, southern Lebanon is definitely not a bed of roses and it sounds like Nasrallah might be getting the blame for acting foolishly/selfishly. Pride is a huge issue in the region, so if Nasrallah has to back down and ask for forgiveness something must be afoot, perhaps including fractures in his organization. The big question is whether those demanding apologies will radicalize further, or (will be allowed to) pursue political opposition through democratic channels.

Kevin Sites provides some insight in his latest dispatch about the tunnel system built by the Vietnamese:

They are a marvel of engineering, weaving underground for several stories and linking together living, dining and meeting areas, as well as weapons factories and subterranean hospitals, complete with operating rooms.

But perhaps their most significant function was to allow the VC to coordinate their operations in the south, both by utilizing surprise attacks then disappearing underground, while also inserting agents and saboteurs into the south.

Because of their strategic value, the entrances to the tunnels were well-protected both by camouflage and booby traps.

Yes, the strategic value was a factor but perhaps not as much as the low cost of reducing inhabitant vulnerability with simple countermeasures, which also probably diminished threats as well (few would want to enter an unfamiliar tunnel of traps). Not sure why Kevin ends with these quotes, other than to warn anyone considering a visit to the tunnels to expect a harsh and realistic rather than romantic story:

“We expected it to be about the ingenious ways used to escape detection,” says Nicky Ashby, 26, from London. “But instead, it’s more about techniques of torture with all the booby traps.”

“It seems to me like it’s celebrating the violence rather than the idea of their perseverance,” says another, who doesn’t want to be identified.

Nice story about an archaeology buff who is building a castle from scratch in 13th century style. Along with period building material and methods, they are also considering how to defend from period attackers:

Our guide blended humor with the history lesson and had us play the role of invaders to explain how even the smallest architectural details helped protect castles.

Some examples: A staircase turns clockwise, forcing invaders to transfer their spears to the left hand and giving the defense an advantage. An extra-tall step requires them to take off their chain-link armor to scale it. Anyone who actually makes it up the stairs alive would have to bend over to pass through a low doorway — giving the castle’s hatchet-armed defenders a prime crack at their necks.

Sounds like fun, but the real question is what will they do to defend against other period threats like The Black Death. Will these history buffs bathe regularly and keep their lodging clean or find scapegoats to torture and burn?