Great Discussion!

I attempted to respond to comment made by "BB" in my post below, but my word count evidently blew over the 3000 character limit imposed by Haloscan. I tried to edit my comment and add back in what I had earlier typed (I have learned from past Blogger failures to at least temporarily save what you do, somewhere else first!), but "Copy" and "Paste" attempts still were not appearing in the re-saved edit.

So, here is my original post, and here are my answers below to his latest comment.

"Yes, I am in agreement that Dem's will at least appear to be projecting a defense image. Now that they are inpower it would be very unwise to act otherwise. I am just very cynical about how well they will back it up based on past performance.

For example, BB points out the shortage of infantry and others... "but we are thin in the area of combat infantry, special forces, interpeters and MP types; essentially the folk required." I agree wholeheartedly! From where/when was this huge military downsizing sourced?

BB: Sorry about the "sniveling parasite" insult. It would not represent my opinion of you, but others in your party. I know I should stow the insult hurling and stick to the facts, but I am just as human and flawed as the next guy. I slip sometimes.

I am very much enjoying our discussion and am happy to be showed where my positions are wrong. I am interested to learn what I don't see.

Yes, we talked with Japan beforehand, and a little over a week later after stopping, they bombed the snot out of us. As you said, "Not that it did much good. " Agreed again... how does that enhance your argument to talk with Syria/Iran? Do you see them as one sliver less intent upon their goals, repeatedly paraded and reiterated in our faces, than Japan was? As you might guess, I see them much more committed. Hope I am dead wrong.

I think Syria's 'official' participation against Saddam in '91 is more evidence of what I am saying. Where do they stand now, despite that history? Their motives were the same then as now... a greater Sunni stake in control and influence in Iraq. Ditto Iran and the Shites. What does that tell me now? That their goals are unchanged regardless of any convenient posturing in days past. More control for either in Iraq means more connections and alignment between either country. Neither want any freedom or semblance of it in Iraq. That would only weaken their own hold over their own citizens to have that so near and visible.

In my archives somewhere, I have several articles on high end military people of Saddam's "whip" that were witnessed collaborating with Bin Laden's in Malaysia in Jan. of 2001. They included paperwork trails that were captured by US forces shortly after we took Baghdad.

I also am not convinced of no WMD's. Our military is supposed to have satellite views of major transporting taking place out of Iraq, just days before we went in, going into the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, which is controlled by Syria. I can't accept this idea that we can't seem to find them, after giving all the public warning that "we're coming" (that was yet another mistake) so therefore they aren't and never were any. What killed all those Kurds? If they do exist, how do you think we will eventually find out? By us stumbling onto them in all that sand, or by them being used against us?

Think Iran will use nukes against us (or Israel) after they are finished building them? Is it worth the gamble? The reason to talk about this when they continue to declare they will do as they please and still plan to wipe Israel off the map is?

I am not aware that we have ever stopped trying to find Bin Laden. But he is one golden nutcase, praised and protected by many more nutcases in an assumed area that is incredibly severe, protected and hostile to everyone from outside. It is proving difficult, isn't it? I still will only view his hopeful killing (not capture) as symbolic, hopefully moreso to the terrorists than to us, but I'll bet not. We always seem to get more carried away as a public unit with symbolism of that type than they would. There will quickly be a replacement, with just as big an ego to serve and please, perhaps larger. This is one monster that will always grow a new head and cannot be killed in that manner. We will have to kill the body and all its' tentacles to stop a new head regenerating from the remaining body. And it is one BIG monster with LOTS of tentacles... all the more reason to kill it before it grows even more. And to stop making mistakes on our side. There is a point somewhere here where we don't get any more realistic opportunities.

I am not in lock step with "stay the course". I want agressive, overwhelming force used against the enemy. I think no Martial Law was and is a HUGE hamstringing for us.

I may not know crappola about their mindset afterall, BB. But I think I do, and yes, I am fairly confident in my argument. I don't usually participate unless I am. (I bet you don't either!) But who writes that doesn't have some self righteous idea that they are correct?

:-)

I just don't see any way of winning this by being short on careful planning, severe execution of decided agressive actions, use of only overwhelming force, Martial Law throughout Iraq until we got a grip that we can someday hand over, and the absolute public conviction that we will not cower from the tremendous task before us.

It will take huge sacrifice from our people, our soldiers and our directors. These crazies we are battling don't have to implore their followers to have those qualities. They already got them.

"How long will it take, how many US troops will be KIA and what will the successful conclusion look like?"

How long? Many, many years. The Jihadis make their war plans on a hundred year scale typically. Wow.

How many killed? I think potentially more than any of our previous wars and conflicts. And we are way off the count there now. I expect that means we are going to see death and destruction on a scale that makes these days seem like fun at the fair. With as powerful a military as you noted, that seems like a very unnecessary thing, if it happens.

What will a successful conclusion look like? A world in which the people remaining alive see a purpose for being that is greater than blowing yourself up for a false cause held by another coward. Until that group think is dead, this will not be over.

Your turn..."