Iraq and Afghanistan has proven that 'occupation' of very large land masses is too expensive for the occupiers and ties down their troops. This 'lesson' was well understood by the Mongol invaders that swept to the gates of Vienna, Austria in the 12th Century. Their 'solution' was a total 'scorched earth' and 'massacre' policy, as a 'defense' since they did not plan to expend troops to 'occupy' the conquered countries. Those that 'surrendered' were spared but governed by the Mongol administrators who kept careful watch for any 'anti-Mongol' eruptions which would then require the return of Mongol troops for a 'massacre'. Civil War General Sherman's 'March to the Sea' was a less gruesome use of the Mongol policy, where 'foraging' supplied his troops, but the skipped the 'massacre' portion of the Mongol formula.

Thus, the 'Palestinian Model' where a country, city, region is totally defeated and 'surrounded' such that food and water can be 'cut off' anytime by the conqueror is also a variant of the Mongol 'formula'. The Gaza Strip Palestinians are ready to be 'massacred' when Israel is good and ready. Also if Iran should plan to use 'nuclear missiles' the Palestinians surrounding Israel would 'die' along with the Israelis. For Israeli missile weapons 'protection', these weapons should be close to Palestinian cities, so any 'air attacks' would kill Palestinians as well. This 'Palestinian Model' variant was also used by the Hezbollah in Lebanon where they place 'missiles' on top of civillian apartment buildings, hoping for to use their women and children as a 'moral shield' when they fired their rockets. The 'women and children' are also used in Palestinian Gaza rocket firings on Israel form areas occupied by civillian populations. Needles to say, if Muslims think so little of their 'women and children' to use them as shield, 'we'----non-Muslims, should attach the same 'value' to the lives of their women and children a fire into 'civillian areas' since the military 'areas' are purposeful not separated from the civillian areas. Grisly and cruel, but no different then the WWII bombings of 'civillians' in the UK by Hitler and Allied 'retalliation' with German city bombings. No, there is not 'moral superior' position in wars. Just victory or defeat.