maestrojpl

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

As an Iraqi Freedom Vet, please no more Shock and Awe.  We are stretched to the max.  Still, this is a diplomatic move more than a military one.  Aircraft Carriers send a message.  But like always, military power is an incredible tool.  It must be used properly and always when other options fail. 

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

What is going on now Bigdawg?  Thank you for your service to our country.

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

It is no coincidence we have troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Guess what county is in the middle of those 2.

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

No problem.  I won't go into all my thoughts on these two wars except to say that I am not objective.  As a Soldier I am a firm believer that ground power wins wars and it is no coincidence that Soldiers and Marines are doing 99% of the dying.  You could put me clearly into the McCain camp when it comes to how this war/wars were conducted from the get go. That is why the term Shock and Awe does get my blood boiling.  Great TV....not much else.  Huge mistake with FAR too few troops in Iraq.  Plus, we didn't finish the job in Afghanistan before we looked south and west.   Water over the damn, but that is what you get when you refuse to listen to experts because you know it all and because some....not all....but some of our senior uniformed leaders lacked the guts to put their stars on the line.

We have limited options now.  Ground forces are out of the question.  We need diplomatic pressure, which is going to be a huge challenge with our current credibility situation.  Unfortunately  when you go back and look at it, we attacked the "weakest" of the Axis of Evil.  If we leave, there is a huge power vacuum and only one player in the region can take advantage.  It is an unholy mess and I frankly don't have the answer...except immediate pullout would be a monumental catastrophe. 

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

War is a failure of diplomacy. We can't afford the wars we're fighting now.

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

Good posts folks.  It is interesting that the country with the most viable threat to stability in the region (my opinion) is the one that we don't have troops in.  Iran is going to be a thorn in the Western world's collective side for the forseeable future.

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

This scenerio scares the hell out of me. The President (note i am not blaming the military and the soldiers that are doing a heroic job) has destabalized the region by the Iraq fiasco, and an invasion of Iran might be the final straw that causes WWIII.

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

Great posts - and thank you for clueing me in as to what is "really" happening - !

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

Politicians always get in the way of allowing the military to do there job. If the Politicians commit troops they should allow them to do the job as they see fit. Rumsfeld only wanted Yes men at first leading the troops and that led to setbacks. If we pull out now the big winner will be Iran. We are in a no win situation.

If anything the additional aircraft carrier is not to placate Israel but to indicate to them that we are very concerned of Iran and it's potential nuclear threat. Now would not be a good time for the USA if Israel was to take any action against Iran. They will do so if they think thats the only way to stop Iran from getting the "bomb". If not for them Saddam would have had nuclear capability. The world screamed at Israel in the early the 80's for its attack on Iraq but it did work. If Israel has to be the ones to stop Iran they will and the fallout in the region will not be pleasant.

Are We on the Brink AGAIN?

Not again I hope.  The U.S. has already overthrown the government of Iran once (Mossadegh in early 50s when he threatened to nationalize the oil fields), and put and kept the odious Shah in power for 25+ years, which didn't work out very well.  And how's our having giving Islamic fundamentalists modern weapons back in the 1980s working out these days?