tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post6089292580134228764..comments2024-03-26T06:17:49.527-07:00Comments on Had Enough Therapy?: "Pound Raqqa into a Parking Lot"Stuart Schneidermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-46113436872929784882015-11-18T15:33:04.539-08:002015-11-18T15:33:04.539-08:00I'm in favor of merciless retribution. ISIS u...I'm in favor of merciless retribution. ISIS understands that.Sam L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00996809377798862214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-41993704511568139522015-11-18T05:02:33.683-08:002015-11-18T05:02:33.683-08:00But... they are not proposing occupation. They are...But... they are not proposing occupation. They are proposing "merciless retribution."Stuart Schneidermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12784043736879991769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-14497453314156095752015-11-17T13:42:23.813-08:002015-11-17T13:42:23.813-08:00No. No. No. No. No. No. No. (I'm tempted to us...No. No. No. No. No. No. No. (I'm tempted to use stronger language)<br /><br />I'm glad I never watched Homeland. Ridiculous Balderdash.<br /><br />400K American troops & Caregivers & Mentors ... Forever? Pernicious Victorian Twaddle.<br /><br />Islam must solve its own problems (or not). WCiv has done so for 2500 years, at terrible cost.<br /><br />Currently, our most immediate problem is Islam itself. Vigorous, tough-minded internal Security. And merciless retribution when attacked.<br /><br />The Cold War was fought to defend ourselves & (True) allies. I served in it in uniform.<br /><br />Now is a War of Civilizations. Different tactics & strategies are called for.<br /><br />Not Perpetual Occupation of hostile foreign lands. -- Rich LaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-76135074455127422702015-11-17T09:43:39.772-08:002015-11-17T09:43:39.772-08:00Assad is a secular leader, but he's been allie...Assad is a secular leader, but he's been allied with Russia and Iran, two nations hated by US and EU. <br /><br />So, US and France worked to weaken him if not take him out completely. <br /><br />So, US and EU looked the other way as terrorists and rebels waged war on Assad. <br /><br />The rebels and terrorists were aided by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Gulf States. <br /><br />US and EU claimed to provide arms to 'moderate rebels' but it was fiction. Most of the arms ended up in the hands of terrorists. And US knew this and let it happen. <br /><br />As long as the terrorists were blowing Syria to hell, US and EU didn't care. They glibly took pleasure from Assad's regime reeling under pressure. <br /><br />Not that US and EU were for ISIS per se. Nevertheless, they valued ISIS's role in weakening Assad(and the Shia-led government in Iraq allied with Iran). <br /><br />But finally, it turned into a massive migration crisis and then now even terrorist acts in France. <br /><br />So, Hollande isn't being frank when he calls for fight on terror. <br />The fact is US and EU directly and indirectly aided rebel groups that caused all the havoc. <br />US exerted no pressure on Saudis to stop arming the Jihadis. And EU gave lavish welcome to Saudis and Gulf States that sent so much arms to the rebels. <br /><br />It's all come to boomerang. <br /><br />US should work with Russia against ISIS, but the ruling elites of US hate Russia and Iran. And they see the defeat of the rebels/terrorists as the triumph of Assad who is allied with Russia and Iran. <br /><br />Foreign policy is, of course, totally cynical on all sides. <br /><br />When Vietnam invaded Cambodia in retaliation against Khmer Rouge violent incursions, China and CIA worked together to aid the Khmer Rouge, the genocidal maniacs who had murdered 2 million of their own. <br /><br />Foreign policy today is no different. It's a cruel machination of power depending on who happens to constitute the ruling elites. <br /><br /><br /><br />priss rulesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-23808604418656643502015-11-17T08:52:24.604-08:002015-11-17T08:52:24.604-08:00p.s. I see the Russia have finally found convinvin...p.s. I see the Russia have finally found convinving evidence the Russian jet crash was caused by a bomb.<br />http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/world/europe/russia-plane-crash-bomb.html<br /><br />So 224 people were killed in one plane crash, and "only" 130 or so killed in the Paris attacks, although many more wounded. Now it makes sense why air travel security is so paranoid that even children and grandmas are potential terrorists.<br /><br />So the more "soft" targets that terrorists can successfully hit the more incentive we all have to transition ourselves into a police state, in complete public surveillance at least for post attack analysis, and NSA monitoring of our private communications for the chance of catching the attacks early, all in the name of benevolent protection against terroristic threats.<br /><br />So far Minnesota has been lucky, relying on bad engineering to take our bridges down, like the Interstate 35W bridge collapse over the Mississippi in 2007.<br /><br />And we don't have to only fear the Muslims, with the 20 year old Oklahoma city bombing, 168 people killed, in revenge against the Waco Texas seige, killing 76 people. <br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing<br /><br />Is the government our enemy or our protector? It apparently depends on which evils you want to look at. I'm glad I only have a slightly paranoid mind.<br /><br />We know making Raqqa into a parking lot would make us all feel better, but what we don't know is whether it'll make ISIS feel better too.<br /><br />So sadly I'll take Obama's side on this one. There's no rush to jumping off a cliff. I even imagine President Trump might be even more cowardly than Obama, once he has the finger the kill button. Talk is always easier than responsibilty for consequences.Ares Olympushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726811306826601686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078379512095504946.post-719442971068367602015-11-17T08:07:32.491-08:002015-11-17T08:07:32.491-08:00Well, looking at Googlemap, there's a very lar...Well, looking at Googlemap, there's a very large dam there, which we can assume helps regulate the local water supply, and generate electricity.<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabqa_Dam<br />http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/world/middleeast/syrian-insurgents-claim-to-control-large-hydropower-dam.html<br /><br />It reminds me of an engineer's joke - Mechanical engineers build weapons, and civil engineers build targets.<br /><br />Has anyone tried bombing it? ... Oh.<br />http://www.worldbulletin.net/haber/117502/bombing-of-dam-by-assad-may-cause-a-disaster 9/2013<br />-------<br />The statement argued that if the Euphrates Dam collapsed, it would impact at least three million Syrians living in the wider region extending from the eastern parts of Syria to the Ramadi city in the west of Iraq's capital Baghdad, sparking off a humanitarian disaster.<br /><br />Euphrates Dam, also known as the Tabqa Dam, is an earth-fill dam on the Euphrates River, located 40 kilometres upstream from the northern Syrian city of Raqqa.<br /><br />The dam is 60 metres high and 4.5 kilometres long and is the largest dam in Syria. Its construction enabled the creation of Lake Assad, Syria's largest water reservoir.<br />...<br />Fighter jets of Syrian army bombed some areas around Euphrates Dam, Lake Assad and areas surrounding the lake last weekend, creating damage in one of the electricity producing turbines, FSA Raqqa spokesman Ahmed Abu Bakir told Anadolu Agency.<br /><br />Bakir said the dam provided power to numerous areas in Syria and the dam lake was one of the most strategic water resources of the country.<br />---------------<br /><br />Bombing things into bumpy parking lots might be good strategy to create a new wave of tens of thousands of refugees heading into Europe at least.<br /><br />I hope the French, Russian and US military have a better strategy than mine.Ares Olympushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726811306826601686noreply@blogger.com