War on Terror

[onthebottom]

I think there is zero risk of Russia launching (even to wipe out their debt) but a missile defense is designed for the Iran / North Korea that might get off a shot or two. Japan would be an example of the damage even a crude attack could cause.

PT is right, I pity the country that uses ANY type of WMD against the US, if it was a nuke - game over - we would occupy that country for decades. If it was AQ then the entire ME would be occupied - and no we wouldn't ask the UNSC if it was OK.

OTB

 

[danmand]

I think there is zero risk of Russia launching (even to wipe out their debt) but a missile defense is designed for the Iran / North Korea that might get off a shot or two. Japan would be an example of the damage even a crude attack could cause.
PT is right, I pity the country that uses ANY type of WMD against the US, if it was a nuke - game over - we would occupy that country for decades. If it was AQ then the entire ME would be occuied - and no we wouldn't ask the UNSC if it was OK.

What a load of macho crap. The missile "defense" system is a way of achieving global hegemony by placing nuclear weapons in space.

Occupying countries is not as easy, as everybody has found out, and there is likely little interest in expanding the occupation in the ME right now.
When was it major combat operations ended? Falluja was quite minor, eh?

 

[onthebottom]

What a load of macho crap. The missile "defense" system is a way of achieving global hegemony by placing nuclear weapons in space.

Occupying countries is not as easy, as everybody has found out, and there is likely little interest in expanding the occupation in the ME right now.
When was it major combat operations ended? Falluja was quite minor, eh?

nuclear weapons in space, what a load of tinfoilhat crap.

Falluja did go rather well, US reported ZERO civilian casualties (we did suffer some) and it was over in a week.

From Reuters today:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The offensive in Falluja led by U.S. Marines has "broken the back of the insurgency" in Iraq (news - web sites), disrupting rebel operations across the country, a senior U.S. commander said on Thursday.

Lt. Gen. John Sattler, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Falluja, said the all-out assault on the city, which had been a stronghold for Iraqi insurgents who rose up after last year's ouster of President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), had flushed the rebels out of their lair and scattered them
.................

"We feel right now that we have, as I mentioned, broken the back of the insurgency and we've taken away the safe haven," Sattler said in a briefing outside Falluja monitored at the Pentagon
..................

attler said 51 U.S. troops had been killed in the offensive and 425 wounded. He said eight Iraqi government troops had been killed and 43 wounded. He said 1,200 insurgents had been killed, and U.S. forces hold 1,025 prisoners.

He said a Marine and an Iraqi government soldier were killed on Thursday in southwestern Falluja when they came under fire clearing a building.

Sattler said he was unaware of any civilians killed in the offensive and "about 25 to 30" had been injured. The city has a population of about 300,000, but most fled before the assault.



Sounds like as much of a success as an operation like that can be.

OTB

 

[danmand]

When was it again that major combat operations ended in Iraq?

Do you still think the US military want to occupy the entire middle east?

 

[onthebottom]

No, I don't think the US want to occupy the entire middle east. You really need to read the entire post.

OTB

 

[Ranger68]

The US needs to end its occupation as quickly as possible.
Period.

 

[danmand]

The Geneva convention states that an occupying force has to provide security and essential services to the population.

If you can't do that, don't occupy. Or has GWB also suspended the Geneva convention in IRAQ?

 

[Peeping Tom]

We don't have to physically occupy. In case you didn't notice, Iraq's government was knocked out in about 15 minutes. Shock'n Awe baby ... This stuff is like a technogeek's wet dream ... start computer, click on function Add / Remove State, select countries from list ... 15 minutes per capital, after a few weeks the entire region will be back in prehistoric conditions, herding goats.

That is the greatest failing of centralized police states - it is all too easy to take them out.

Occupying countries is not as easy, as everybody has found out, and there is likely little interest in expanding the occupation in the ME right now.
When was it major combat operations ended? Falluja was quite minor, eh?

 

[blitz]

Careful...

IMO, the US is jackbooting a dangerous line towards being a police state.

 

[Asterix]

We don't have to physically occupy. In case you didn't notice, Iraq's government was knocked out in about 15 minutes.

Really. If we don't need to physically occupy, what are we still doing there going on two years later?

 

[langeweile]

Careful...

IMO, the US is jackbooting a dangerous line towards being a police state.

Have you been sniffing glue again.....stop getting blitzed.......

 

[Ranger68]

We don't have to physically occupy. In case you didn't notice, Iraq's government was knocked out in about 15 minutes. Shock'n Awe baby ... This stuff is like a technogeek's wet dream ... start computer, click on function Add / Remove State, select countries from list ... 15 minutes per capital, after a few weeks the entire region will be back in prehistoric conditions, herding goats.

That is the greatest failing of centralized police states - it is all too easy to take them out.

Click a button.
Kill a few thousand Iraqi civilians.
Create a few tens of thousands more people who HATE THE WEST and are willing to die for that cause.

It's all too easy.

 

[Dabbler]

Iraq Exit Strategy?

The US needs to end its occupation as quickly as possible.
Period.

Hey Ranger68, could not agree more. The war in Iraq is unstainable, resources diverted from AlQueda, whose terrorsist activity continues unabated. Beer induced musings from Dabbler

 

[Ranger68]

Well, actually Al Qaeda is practically broken now, although there are doubtless other terrorist "organizations" willing to throw their chestnuts in the fire now.

The war on terror itself is a white whale. Al Qaeda was never really, globally speaking, all that much of a threat. They managed one spectacular, hideous attack which likely succeeded beyond their expectations. That having been said, despite the practical hysteria over further terrorist assaults, a comparable number of people have been struck by lightning in the US since 9/11 as died in the attack.

The practical fact of the matter is that, having overthrown the Taliban and destroyed Al Qaeda's main bases of operation in Afghanistan, if you even felt *that* necessary, there really is nobody for the US to be at war with - neither Iraq nor terrorists.

This, to the current cabal in power, is a problem. That they don't have the money to fund these operations is not a problem, apparently.

 

[Dabbler]

Al Qaeda and the War on Terror

Well, actually Al Qaeda is practically broken now, although there are doubtless other terrorist "organizations" willing to throw their chestnuts in the fire now.

Horrific bombings in Bali, Madrid and Saudi Arabia have all been linked to Al Qaeda or its surrogates. Abu Musad al-Zaqwai who's insurangent fighters are providing ongoing opposition the US military presence in Iraq has also been indentified as a top Al Qaeda lieutenant. In my opinion I don't think the United States has heard the last of Bin Laden or Al Qaeda.......Dabbler

 

[papasmerf]

Re: Al Qaeda and the War on Terror

Well, actually Al Qaeda is practically broken now, although there are doubtless other terrorist "organizations" willing to throw their chestnuts in the fire now.

Horrific bombings in Bali, Madrid and Saudi Arabia have all been linked to Al Qaeda or its surrogates. Abu Musad al-Zaqwai who's insurangent fighters are providing ongoing opposition the US military presence in Iraq has also been indentified as a top Al Qaeda lieutenant. In my opinion I don't think the US has heard the last of Bin Laden or Al Qaeda.......Dabbler

Your opinion is shared by many.

 

[blitz]

Have you been sniffing glue again.....stop getting blitzed.......

Oh Languish! You so craaazeee.

 

[Drunken Master]

The war on terror itself is a white whale.

Perhaps not the best analogy - Moby Dick does kill everybody on the ship at the end of the novel.

 

[Ranger68]

Re: Al Qaeda and the War on Terror

Well, actually Al Qaeda is practically broken now, although there are doubtless other terrorist "organizations" willing to throw their chestnuts in the fire now.

Horrific bombings in Bali, Madrid and Saudi Arabia have all been linked to Al Qaeda or its surrogates. Abu Musad al-Zaqwai who's insurangent fighters are providing ongoing opposition the US military presence in Iraq has also been indentified as a top Al Qaeda lieutenant. In my opinion I don't think the United States has heard the last of Bin Laden or Al Qaeda.......Dabbler

Why are these terrorist bombings suddenly "horrific"? I mean, terrorists have been bombing people for a hundred years. Why, all of a sudden, is the implication that the problem's so much worse?

If you'd like authoritative opinion on the belief that Al Qaeda is a broken organization, I can give you lots of quotes.

The "war on terror" is a fiction. Don't help those trying to perpetrate this myth.

 

[Ranger68]

Perhaps not the best analogy - Moby Dick does kill everybody on the ship at the end of the novel.

Touche.

Okay, how about a "wild goose chase".
Better?