Fleet Hospital 3 for the most part, we were out of nasiriah (sp?). we moved around a lot... 18 hour convoy ride... (our driver got lost) then we were confronted by some "locals" in which some of my marine friends were sent out to do some investigating/negotiating... needless to say, there wasnt much talking involved... spent some time in camp viper. was in iraq from march 03- jun 03...
Yes you can. The reason that no one ever complained about the Afghanistan invasion was because their regime was logistically linked to an attack on American soil. Had the Baath party done the same, we wouldn't even be having this debate. I love it when people ask this question. We were not facing an ultimatum. You are only forced to choose an option when failure to do so will result in immediate repurcussions. Iraq was not about to attack anyone, and in fact, has been shown to have lacked that capability.
157 has a near photographic memory. When 157 says you said something, you said it. When 157 brings up something someone else says, it's rooted in previous experiences.
red55 brought up the following point. This point implies that "occupation and conversion to little America" is foolish. We did exactly the same thing in Afghanistan. The reasons why are moot, I was just pointing out that the goals of the administration are identical.
i said you tell us what we think, not what we said. you often state things about what other people believe based on a misunderstanding of their opinion.
no, really, what were our options? simple question... in the military, we call it "preventive action"... and I think our president had just cause. so tell me why not?
What a laugh! :lol: The Constitution guarantees a citizen the right to vote for whomever he chooses, for whatever reasons are important to him. Forget that one did you? I'm amused that when you run out of logic, you invoke "we all" or "it is unanimous" as if everyone happens to believe your viewpoint. And then suggesting I must be "stupid" instead of just telling us why you think I'm wrong. People will chime in if they agree with you. Or not, as the case may be. You speak only for yourself here, chief. And "everyone" knows it. :yelwink2:
OK. I ask again. What exactly will constitute victory here? be specific. What I hear you saying is that we must stand behind a bad decision indefinitely to show resolve. Nonsense. I think we are being manuulated right now. We are providing easy targets for al quaida that they can get to cheaply. We are spending billions and billions from an already depleted Treasury. They are killing Americans every day. We have alienating our allies and inflaming the entire middle east. Osama bin ladin couldn't be happier that we are bogged down in Iraq and looking bad while we are at it. We certainly don't have the resources to go after him right now. Neither are we capable of dealing with North Korea or Iran or Pakistan right now. All three of those are explosive, potentially nuclear confrontations. America needs to fight the kind of wars that we are good at. We win those kind of wars. We can beat any country in a straight-up war. We can't get bogged down occupying countries where they hate us, are not cooperating, and are little threat to us anyway. Leave them their mess and fight the kind of war that we excel at. And focus on the more important threats. Pakistan already has the Islamic Bomb, has Osama and the Taliban, and is in a particularly volitile domestic political situation. Korea has nuclear weapons, missiles to deliver them and a crazy little bastard in charge of the place. Iran is just posturing and we can let them stew for a while. But if we get caught with our pants down in a Korean War II or if Pakistan goes over to the Islamists, because we are dinking around spending 5,000 casualties and $75 billion a year in a futile effort to democratize Iraq . . . It will be worse than Pearl Harbor. Yes, it is frustrating that Iraq is an unwinnable situation. But you don't throw good money after bad and you don't lose sight of bigger and newer threats just to avoid admitting a mistake. It is vital for American interests that we disengage in Iraq and get ready to fight nuclear-armed opponents in a kind of war that we will win . . . if we are ready for it. It is vital that we go after al Qaida where they live instead of taking casualties from them while patroling slum neighborhood in Iraq. We don't need the place. We don't want the place. We don't want to be there. And they don't want us there. Only Osama bin Ladin does. The Iraq war was a tremendous Christmas present for him. It took the pressure off and makes us look bad. And you want us to stay there forever to show resolve? I say we show resolve and good sense by recogizing a bad situation, ending it, and getting refocused on the big picture.
Afghanistan is not under American military occupation. We have special forces there fighting Taliban remnants, not imposing our will on the civilan population. We did not take over the country and take responsibility for government services, the police, the economy or get involved in tribal politics. We are not imposing an American-style democracy on them. We are letting the Afghans establish an Afghan-style government that recognizes the traditional tribal assembly.
