Funny but we thought the same with Afghanistan and yet we are still fighting (we actually owned in the beginning until we stupidly decided to visit iraq). We have tanks, air support and they have 13yr old Nokia phones and ak47s. Same with iraq thinking it was going to be a cake walk and we got side swiped by the iraq military we forced onto the streets, which was extremely stupid leaving well trained men without work. What were they to do,open a Wal-Mart together? I hate these isis guys but americans tend to have this cocky attitude when it comes to others as if they are beneath in every way. We shouldn't fall into the same trap 3x in a row.
The problem isn't with American arrogance, it's about shitty leadership at the executive level. We stopped fighting wars to win back in the 60's with Vietnam. You can't fight a war and be humanitarians at the same time. If the leadership fought these wars the way they are meant to be fought Iraq and Afghanistan wouldn't be a problem today. Sure you'd still have pockets of bad guys. Japan and Germany are perfect examples of how you fight a war, win a war and then make sure they don't become a problem again. Iraq is not
I forgot to update the Iraq's ran again the other day leaving US equipment behind... Sent from my LG-LS720 using Tapatalk
Just read where the Iraqis cut and ran from Ramadi and ISIS just strolled on in. What's the point of sending more arms or like the f'n idiot McCain wants, American troops there if the Iraqis themselves won't defend what's left of their country? Not one more drop of American blood should be shed over Iraq or in the middle east overall. Let them return to 800AD and the rest of the world can get on with living.
Too late for that Cman. This president royally screwed the pooch, by premature withdrawal. ISIS reportedly has 2Bn Yes, Billion with a B. in the bank.... He broke it. We bought it.
Well, the previous administration really royally screwed the pooch by dismantling the Iraqi army. And, frankly, by going in in the first place. But, otherwise, I have to agree with you. Pains me, but it's the fact. Memorial Day. Enjoy the parade.
If that's the case Hobbes, then we drain every f'n drop of oil out of that country and leave them sand. We could "give" what's left of Iraq to the ISIS or Iran or whoever wants that shithole with the promise that if they leave us alone, we'll leave them alone. What they do to their population is their business. If that population wants to rise up for freedom, give us a call. Other than that? Fck em..
Biggest mistake of Iraq Act II. I said it when it happened. I'd love to know what the fuck L.Paul Bremmer was thinking.
There was a study by some poli-sci profs cited in the Boston Globe today in which they basically posit that drone strikes to take out the leaders of terrorist organizations actually increases the likelihood that whatever is left will commit more violence against civilian targets, as opposed to political or military targets. Apparently groups without centralized leadership command and control structures are much more indiscriminate in the use of violence.
Ex post facto, they claimed that the Iraqi army mysteriously disbanded all by it's little lonesome. (Yeah, believable that they left, with no $$$$ coming in etc..) So, in pursuing a policy of De-Baathification they got ahead of themselves. Instead of keeping (or luring them) toward a central location (at the time I said two...one on either end of Highway 10, which basically cuts across the country from Iran to Syria...you see where I am going?) and then using the paid labor to build to bases, (there were roughly 400,000 soldiers)...while living in standard military tents...the insurrection could have been avoided, the forces trained en masse...and de-bathification could have been performed in an orderly manner, soldiers without families that wanted to return to civilian life, could have been relocated to unfamiliar areas of the country, and if they went home, their salaries could have been cut. Military that stayed and retrained, and evaluated could have been dispersed in an orderly fashion, No way to quickly organize, (organization of insurgents would still have been possible, but the time horizon would have been longer, and the incentives greatly reduced) When we freed the Iraqi's we gave them the Janis Joplin version....That whole thing about Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.... bad juju.
P.S. I meant to start out by saying, I sort of agree with that, but I would posit that it's partly also media manipulation and instilling fear and hatred against the would be liberators, hence a recruiting tool To believe otherwise, would be to impart some measure of humanity to the terrorists...I'd also wonder if they attack Shia and Sunni indiscriminately. (in these cases)
Man. Is it just me or does ISIS sound like a new partner-in-crime for Cobra Commander in the GI Joe Action Figure Series? Or is that too 80's?
I can top that.. ISIS is reminding me of the old Vietcong. They just fought a guerilla war and wore down the mighty US war machine over the years. Fighting a Asymentrical War usually results in victory for the underdog and I have a feeling that ISIS will indeed win out and create a new state. Given that most of the borders in that area were the result of war, it should come as no surprise that a new state will be born in blood as that's how things are done there. Again, let them return to 800AD, behead their citizens, mutilate and stone their women all in the name of Allah. When they try to export it? Smash..
