Military What was done is being undone...Iraq

Discussion in 'Free Speech Alley' started by mancha, Jun 12, 2014.

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  1. MLUTiger

    MLUTiger Secular Humanist

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    I agree and the party knows this. I read some interesting articles after the 2004 election. In key battleground states and precincts, the GOP came out to vote in droves. In each of these precincts, states, etc. there were also votes held for many social issues, including same-ex marriage rights. This helped to get the vote out tremendously, including new voters and and was a key to the GOP strategy devised by Karl Rove. Most of the GOP leaders felt that Kerry would have won Ohio if not for that issue being on the ballot.

    Fear is a powerful motivator and that's what cable news plays on...
     
    MLUTiger, Jun 19, 2014
    #111
  2. MLUTiger

    MLUTiger Secular Humanist

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    Al Jazeera is the best news channel in America, hands down.
     
    MLUTiger, Jun 19, 2014
    #112
    LSUMASTERMIND and Tiger in NC like this.
  3. mancha

    mancha Alabama morghulis

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    I'm not making any accusations but this late breaking story might be pertinent to the conversation:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/19/scott-walker-investigation_n_5512463.html
     
    mancha, Jun 19, 2014
    #113
  4. Winston1

    Winston1 Founding Member

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    Red we have been trying to "get closer to Iran for years. Do you know W worked with the Iranians during the invasion of Iraq? What ever the US rhetoric there has been apotential to improve relations with Iransince the first Iraq war.
    For their own reasons the Iranian leadership is unwilling to make the moves needed to change the relationship. It isn't USand western intrangience but Iranian that prevents better relations.
     
    Winston1, Jun 19, 2014
    #114
  5. uscvball

    uscvball Founding Member

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    Didn't Kennedy send 400 Green Berets to train the South Vietnamese against a growing Viet Cong insurgence?
     
    uscvball, Jun 19, 2014
    #115
  6. LSUpride123

    LSUpride123 PureBlood

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    LSUpride123, Jun 20, 2014
    #116
  7. uscvball

    uscvball Founding Member

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    No chit. I don't Knkw where to start. Why would it take 300 of our best and brightest to "read maps"? They are going to provide intel? To whom? The cowardly Iraqi's? What would they possibly do with it? So far this month they have lost 5 tanks and 6 helicopters. They don't fight and certainly don't tilt the Mensa indicator. Does anyone believe we are sending these highly trained warriors to read maps and organize war game play dates?
     
    uscvball, Jun 20, 2014
    #117
  8. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    You bet your ass. That and other mundane-sounding vital operations. Maps are digital these days and include satellite imagery and loads of geographic and thematic data that is essential in interpreting a situation.

    We spent 10 years fighting "cowardly" Iraqis and discovered that they can be persistent and effective guerrillas not lacking in bravery or audacity. Most of the Iraqi Army is still cohesive.

    Do not underestimate these guys. Their leaders are very bright and well-educated.

    What else do you think 300 high-ranking intelligence officers and counter-insurgency specialists are going to do? Neither the Iraqi military nor their ISIS adversaries thoroughly understand the complexities of intelligence and logistics. There are some areas that are vital to hold and others that are a waste of resources. Even a half-assed military unit can be effective if they are in the right place at the right time, know what is over the hill, and can be resupplied reliably. Even the best opposition guerrillas can't keep up the fight very long if their logistical trail is imaginary or blown away an if they have no local civilian support.
     
    red55, Jun 20, 2014
    #118
  9. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    Yep. It is what they were created and trained for. If we had stuck to that then the South Vietnamese would have either won their civil war themselves or proved unwilling or incapable of doing so (which ultimately was the case). Then we could have easily and quickly removed the counter-insurgency forces with their tiny footprint. It was when Johnson stated sending heavy divisions and airpower over there removing them became more and more difficult. Brer' Lyndon got struck to the tar baby.
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2014
    red55, Jun 20, 2014
    #119
  10. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    From a western perspective, perhaps. From Iran's perspective there has been a ton of western intransigence. Shooting down an Iranian civilian airliner was a pretty big one. They gave us overflight rights during the Afghanistan bombing campaign against Al Qaeda and expected a bit of credit for it but instead Bush called them the world's "leading terror sponsor". We still hold billions of dollars in Iranian US assets frozen since 1979. Far more than was needed to cover American losses in Iran after the 1979 revolution. The crippling sanctions seem pretty intransigent to them, too. It takes two to tango.
     
    red55, Jun 21, 2014
    #120
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