Actually, that a conservative figure...the real figure would ultimately be much higher...Quote:
Originally Posted by Winehole23
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Actually, that a conservative figure...the real figure would ultimately be much higher...Quote:
Originally Posted by Winehole23
Then, wouldn't it be easier to say "I don't know. I pulled that conservative figure out of the air"?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nbadan
Based upon what?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nbadan
...based on the 3-1 military superiority scale when it comes to fighting insurgencies....
And what is the number of insurgents?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nbadan
....don't know, but they scared the shit out of the Pakistani military....
Likely. But the real number of troops needed would likely be politically unsupportable, as with Iraq.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nbadan
The *real number* might also be an operational impossibility.
None-the-less the number would be much greater than the number there now, even with the recent build-up by Obama...Quote:
Originally Posted by Winehole23
...Obama would love to go after Al Queda in Pakistan, as well as the Taliban, but not as long as there are 140K troops in IRaq...
Was that so difficult for you to say?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nbadan
I don't know if that is the correct characterization. I'm sure there are many elements in the military that don't mind the Taliban at all.Quote:
but they scared the shit out of the Pakistani military....
It's an awful mess. I wish there was some way we could extricate our dicks from the crack they're caught in. Wars are much tougher to conclude than to start, particularly without clear, achievable goals.
..so, the Taliban have infiltrated the Pakistan army?Quote:
I don't know if that is the correct characterization. I'm sure there are many elements in the military that don't mind the Taliban at all.
....the goal was almost achievable prior to 9/11...people were sympathetic to the jihadists cause but they were also tired of all the killings...Al Queda, or what we today call Al Queda, was on the brink of ideological collapse...Quote:
Originally Posted by Winehole23
I wouldn't say that. I can certainly believe there could be members of the Pakistani military that sympathize with the Taliban, at the least.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nbadan
This is widely acknowledged, I think. They might be in charge again someday. It's only prudent for them to play both sides of the fence.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nbadan
Yeah, the ISI, they supported the Taliban against the Soviets....it's how we got stingers to them...Quote:
Originally Posted by ChumpDumper
Correction: Infiltrated, no. Playing both sides of the fence, yes.
Pakistan needs our full attention and NOW!
Right. I hope all the board neocons now realize what a stupid mistake Iraq was, though I won't expect an admission.Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeChalupa
Our best hope is that we can get out of Iraq so they can get on with the process of killing each other and we can better deal with actual threats to the US.
I think Obama is re-examining the premise that killing terrorists is best done by war..
The most ironic notion of all is that a war which was started under threats of mushroom clouds being our smoking gun may have diverted attention from the real danger of having nuclear weapons fall into the hands of people like the Taliban.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChumpDumper
The danger in Pakistan is incredible and substantial and meanwhile we stopped no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
How is every fucking Neocon not aware of this?
I agree that Afghanistan/Pakistan is a much more important problem than Iraq ever was. That said, it's probably not the best time for a Bush admin witch hunt. So, I agree with Obama on his new and improved position.
I don't give a shit about a political show that congress may or may not put on but I damn sure don't care about the potential inconvenience of bringing assholes who broke the law to justice.Quote:
Originally Posted by DarrinS
I think congress should focus once again on steroids in pro sports. I mean isn't it about time?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MannyIsGod
Be careful what you go looking for. Some of these assholes might have a (D.) after their name. That's REALLY why there is now opposition to this. Either way, I'm not losing sleep over it, I just think the country has more pressing problems.
I think Vice President Cheney's daughter, a former assisstant Secretary of State, adequately destroyed the left's arguments on this matter...
See the video at:
Cheney smacksdown O'Donnell
She takes Norah O'Donnell to school on the whole matter.
In addition to the superb defense of enhanced interrogation techniques, I find it interesting how argumentive O'Donnell became in trying to maintain the left's narrative in this debate.