"Al-Qaeda linked terrorists in Syria have beheaded all 24 Syrian passengers traveling from Tartus to Ras al-Ain in northeast of Syria, among them a mother and a 40-days old infant."

http://en.alalam.ir/news/1512664

Let them kill each other. Neither side is a friend of the US. On one side is a dictator, on the other jihadists. We should wish for both to lose.

And people thought the Arab Spring was a good thing.

We brought a lot of this on by trying to bring democracy to Iraq. Really, really stupid idea. This part of the world is not ready for democracy. When the Brits tried it in the 20s and 30s, they got socialist/communist dictatorships. Now attempts at democracy degenerate into either military dictatorships or theocratic ones. The military ones are better.

WMD, would be interested in your take on a related point. It seems to me that if we are going to do a limited attack, the targets need to be the presidential palace(s), the parliament building, and the secret police HQ. Militarily, I think we need to go after their air capability. What say you?

When are we going to learn there are no Islamic "moderates"?

We should become self-sufficient in oil and assist Israel in relocating to western Australia. Then the West should have no contact with Islam until Islam goes through a reformation and it can properly function in the modern world.

The Nimitz is headed to the Med. When was the last time a West Coast Carrier operated in the Med?

My initial answer us that we shouldn't attack. That we are bringing in the Nimitz etc. shows that the limited strike scenario is out and we are going for a sustained operation. You have LPD-17 already there and the Kearsarge headed to the Med as well. So you have a Carrier group, 8 Tomahawk shooters, probably a Trident SSGN, part of an Amphib Group.

Too many assets for a "Shot Across the Bow."

I think the Chemical Weapons are in the process of being moved to Iran. If we are going for a sustained operation it would be targeting Scuds, Frogs, (all surface to surface missiles) Syrian Aviation bases, Mitary C3I, Political Leadership Targets. Basically take out anything that can hit Israel. The Truman Carrier group is in the Arabian Sea in case the Iranians act.

You have USAF Tac Air in Jordan. USAF assets in Turkey.

The strikes will decapitate Assad. He might be alive, but the Syrian Military cant hold Damascus. The Rebels have it surrounded on three sides more or less already.

(09-02-2013 07:56 PM)EagleRockCafe Wrote:  "Al-Qaeda linked terrorists in Syria have beheaded all 24 Syrian passengers traveling from Tartus to Ras al-Ain in northeast of Syria, among them a mother and a 40-days old infant."

http://en.alalam.ir/news/1512664

To be fair, the latter was a whiny little ***** and wouldn't STFU.

(09-02-2013 08:43 PM)UConn-SMU Wrote:  When are we going to learn there are no Islamic "moderates"?

We should become self-sufficient in oil and assist Israel in relocating to western Australia. Then the West should have no contact with Islam until Islam goes through a reformation and it can properly function in the modern world.

To be fair, they could've been neighbors, friends, countrymen in other situations. I remember meeting on of the nephews of a lead negotiator with the PA many years ago and have met folks at pretty much every range along the continuim of muslim society since then.

The concept that "there are no Islamic moderates" is fundamentally incompatible with the concept of an Islamic reformation.

There is perhaps a quantum step between tribal society and a modern society with an empowered middle class that would make a difference in how we interact with the Muslim world. But, the idea that there would be a transition between a society without moderates and a society with moderates misunderstands what Islam is. The best we can hope for is a society that cares more about things that aren't related to Islam than about things that are, but that is not the aame as what I would view as a Christian modrate.

No use in shooting the bear that is attacking the cougar that is going to eat you.

(09-02-2013 08:53 PM)WMD Owl Wrote:  The Nimitz is headed to the Med. When was the last time a West Coast Carrier operated in the Med?

My initial answer us that we shouldn't attack. That we are bringing in the Nimitz etc. shows that the limited strike scenario is out and we are going for a sustained operation. You have LPD-17 already there and the Kearsarge headed to the Med as well. So you have a Carrier group, 8 Tomahawk shooters, probably a Trident SSGN, part of an Amphib Group.

Too many assets for a "Shot Across the Bow."

It's all this movement that has me thinking Congress is going to vote NO on the resolution. If there was a small group (Maybe just a single carrier group) there, Congress might be willing to say "okay, we'll give your authorization, President Obama, but it's all on you now".

There's no way they put that many troops in the middle of a civil war, as PBHO has tipped his hand.

Quote:I think the Chemical Weapons are in the process of being moved to Iran.

Honestly, I think that's the last place Israel would be letting them go.. unless the Syrian-Iranian traffic route is better hidden than I thought. Israel would be going medieval if that was happening (IMO).