Get ready for the big train wreck in Iraq. Its going to happen (or is already happening).

What tactics are to change to save the political future of our Commander and Chief?

Check out CNN. Its depressing.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/21/iraq.main/

What political future? He's a lame duck president so he doesn't have to be concerned about that. I don't know if anyone can tell the future with any degree of accuracy. I sure hope that we don't go down the defeatist path of early withdrawal. I'm sure that's what the opposition is holding out for. We all want to see all of our military return home but I would like to see them come home in victory.
I think that it's no mere coincidence that the enemy is stepping up their attacks as our mid-term elections draw near. I would expect more of the same up until then. I would also expect more of the same if and when the Democrats make significant gains next month. That's just my 2 cents on the matter as I see it. There will be a difficult time ahead with no easy answers I'm afraid.

How can you define victory when you already hold the entire country but your forces are being slowly blown up by roadside bombs and such?

Losers say when a war stops, winners dictate the terms.

One of the problems when facing terrorism is that you can never really attain victory. There can be no victory over terrorism, just as terrorism can never actually defeat an army. All that you end up with is death to everyone, our soldiers, their jihadists and innocent civilians.

There was once a theory that Japan could never be conquered because they would fight to the last person. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Originally Posted by Missileer

There was once a theory that Japan could never be conquered because they would fight to the last person. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Of course, we also happened to have a weapon more powerful than any that had been invented at that point, that allowed for the decimation of cities in a matter of seconds. Unless you are trying to intimate that we have a weapon that roots out terrorists from civilians, kills all of them, then stops anyone else from EVER being militant, I very much doubt that we could win a war or terrrorism.

Originally Posted by WNxRogue

Of course, we also happened to have a weapon more powerful than any that had been invented at that point, that allowed for the decimation of cities in a matter of seconds.

As far as I know, those weapons are still around, just smarter.

Originally Posted by WNxRogue

Unless you are trying to intimate that we have a weapon that roots out terrorists from civilians, kills all of them, then stops anyone else from EVER being militant, I very much doubt that we could win a war or terrrorism.

Terrorists are civilians in most cases, otherwise, the tactic wouldn't work. What I am intimating is that you shouldn't make up your mind that the enemy is going to win before all of your own tactics have been exhausted. If there is a committed war declared, civilians will unfortunately be eradicated step by step, city by city, country by country, until attrition rate becomes the deciding factor of victory.

There will always be terrorists, the idea is to reduce the scale of terrorism to terrorist acts instead of a war where terrorism is depended on as the only hope the enemy has. Just as kamikazi attacks by Japan in WWII failed against battle ships, so will suicide bombers of today.

Originally Posted by Missileer

As far as I know, those weapons are still around, just smarter.



Terrorists are civilians in most cases, otherwise, the tactic wouldn't work. What I am intimating is that you shouldn't make up your mind that the enemy is going to win before all of your own tactics have been exhausted. If there is a committed war declared, civilians will unfortunately be eradicated step by step, city by city, country by country, until attrition rate becomes the deciding factor of victory.

There will always be terrorists, the idea is to reduce the scale of terrorism to terrorist acts instead of a war where terrorism is depended on as the only hope the enemy has. Just as kamikazi attacks by Japan in WWII failed against battle ships, so will suicide bombers of today.

Now I might be reading this completely wrong, but are you advocating erradicating innocents to try and get that 1 in 10 or 100 million who is a terrorist?
Are you also advocating the usage of tactical nukes for use on terrorists? Are they in citys? What then? Please, tell me if I am getting the wrong impression, because if I am not, then this whole conversation is more disturbing then I could have possibly thought it could be.

Originally Posted by DTop

What political future? He's a lame duck president so he doesn't have to be concerned about that. I don't know if anyone can tell the future with any degree of accuracy. I sure hope that we don't go down the defeatist path of early withdrawal. I'm sure that's what the opposition is holding out for. We all want to see all of our military return home but I would like to see them come home in victory.
I think that it's no mere coincidence that the enemy is stepping up their attacks as our mid-term elections draw near. I would expect more of the same up until then. I would also expect more of the same if and when the Democrats make significant gains next month. That's just my 2 cents on the matter as I see it. There will be a difficult time ahead with no easy answers I'm afraid.

I think there is some degree of accuracy there. Their hope is to get the Democrats in power to give them more of a free hand in planning and pulling off their missions. The track record of the Democrats in power in the U.S. is one of backing off of the GWOT (specifically Iraq and Afghanistan). Cut and run tactics will only take the heat off of the terrorists and free them up to continue as before.

What bothers me the most is that it might be closer than anyone thinks. The guy that put out the hoax about the NFL games this past weekend more than likely watched "The Sum of All Fears". In that movie they set off a dirty nuke at the Super Bowl. What should be learned from the movie is how easy it has been to get materials into the U.S. to harm us. One of the well publicized plans of Al Queda was to kill over a million Americans with one act. The kid that put up the hoax may spend most of the rest of his life behind bars, but the terrorists that may plan an attack like that are currently running free.

Whether you agree with the GWOT, as described above, or not it shows that an impact is being made. WE have not been attacked since 9/11 inside our shores. Also, the U.S. DHD has intercepted a few plans and stopped them from fruition. As a liberal you might not agree, but using common sense we have had an impact. If we withdraw it could be a grave mistake for many Americans.