Star Wars: Message Boards: War on Terror: Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere (Thread II)


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starwars.com > Community > Message Boards > Community > The Cantina > War on Terror: Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere (Thread II)

War on Terror: Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere (Thread II) - 3110 replies | 208 pages

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		The Dark Moose Member Profile Total Posts: 36748 Member Since: 02/02

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 05:56 AM

The Previous Thread:
http://forums.starwars.com/thread.jspa?threadID=173039&tstart=0

The Previous Questions:
This thread is intended for the discussion of the "War on Terror", so dubbed officially after the events of 9/11.

The main 2 theaters of battle are Iraq and Afghanistan, however the "War on Terror" spans much of the globe in one way or another. Several countries are part of the "Coalition". Some provide troops, some provide techincal assistance, some provide funding.

There is also the ongoing effort to capture leaders of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization.

Discuss the progress, or lack thereof, of the War on Terror in this thread.

Is it being won?

Are the goals clear - what is "victory" in this case?

How long do you think it will take?

Has recent acts of terrorism changed any of your thoughts about the War on Terror?

Are the troops of 2 largest military contributors, the USA and UK, being represented fairly by the press?

Can Afghanistan and Iraq successfully govern themselves soon?

Some New Questions:

Should there be a timetable for withdrawal?

Has the death of key figures such as Saddam Hussein or Al Qaeda's Zarqawi changed anything?

Is the impression "on the ground" different from the one back home?

Are Iraq and Afghanistan near being ready to maintain their own security?

By the end of 2008, will troops be home, or will they still be in a major deployment abroad in the War on Terror?

Please discuss those, and all newest topical developments regarding the War on Terror in this thread.

£0ß0
Total Posts: 11603
Member Since: 01/02

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 06:16 AM

This message was edited by £0ß0 on May 08, 2007 06:18 AM

Some New Questions:

Should there be a timetable for withdrawal?

Personaly, I feel any sort of time table is out of the question. How can you put a time table on war? I mean yeah, we could end this in one day, and I'm sure there is a general consensus here and globaly to do so, however, it's not humane to go nuking a country to flush out a couple of terrorists.

Although, with all the suicide bombings and younger kids getting sucked into Al Quiada, seems there are some very tough choices that need to be made in the future and not the present. So long as the spats continue in congress, and Conservatives are seen more evil than the ememy, this WOT will last well beyond our lifetime and our great grandkids life time (that is even to say that if, pollitcal correctness hasn't done us in first)

£0ß0
Total Posts: 11603
Member Since: 01/02

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 06:16 AM

Has the death of key figures such as Saddam Hussein or Al Qaeda's Zarqawi changed anything?

Not a thing. They have tons of others in line. So long as they hate the Jews and American's, there will always be a front runner, I'm willing to bet younger and younger at each turn.

Is the impression "on the ground" different from the one back home?

I'll bet the troops are fustrated as hell at this point, not knowing what their homeland wants them to do, it went from a great support in the efforts against terror whenever it may be, to to many are dead, bring them home. Also the funding needed is nothing more but politcal ground for the politicians on both sides, where as the troops are caught in the middle.

The troops have done alot of good, and I'll have to go digging later, but everytime something is rebuilt over in Afghan and the troops leave, it gets taken over by the insuragents.

£0ß0
Total Posts: 11603
Member Since: 01/02

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 06:17 AM

I remember something a few months back where they interviewed the trainers of the US/Iraqi coolition, and the person (American) they interviewed said it like it was. As much as they want their own democracy and the like, there is far more money in terrorism because the local police don't really do anything, despite the US training, and the army they have, isn't really grasping anything. Paraphrasing all of this, but this piece was on Anderson Cooper, he's always got specials on the troops and the war on the weekends.

Are Iraq and Afghanistan near being ready to maintain their own security?

With the rant above, the US military says, not even close.

By the end of 2008, will troops be home, or will they still be in a major deployment abroad in the War on Terror?

Well, that's up to the Democrats. If the troops come home, the war will be fought at home.

Procastinator
Total Posts: 14664
Member Since: 04/04

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 06:21 AM

however, it's not humane to go nuking a country to flush out a couple of terrorists.

Well it wouldn't be the first time that strategy was applied ..

EvilDarthBear
Total Posts: 9672
Member Since: 09/04

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 06:25 AM

6 charged with plot on Army base in N.J.

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - Six men from the former Yugoslavia were arrested on charges they plotted to attack the Fort Dix Army base and "kill as many soldiers as possible," federal authorities said Tuesday.

Yikes, I've been to these places.. Hard to believe people like that could be your neighbor. Good thing they caught 'em.

£0ß0
Total Posts: 11603
Member Since: 01/02

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 06:33 AM

Well it wouldn't be the first time that strategy was applied ..

True, however, aren't you guys trying to avoid worse case scenario?

I mean, if Bush was a warmonger, don't some of you think that when the conservatives had control of the house, it would already be game over?

People have to give Bush credit on this, you guys could wipe the entire middle east of the map, yet, he didn't and will not.

Supernus Magister Sith
Total Posts: 34843
Member Since: 12/99

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 07:26 AM

From previous thread:
Nice.... Their home, under constant threat, and you would rather blame them and basicly let them die.

Why should I, as an American, care? The President should put American interests above all others; protecting our borders and ensuring OUR national security. Not the national security of some country that we pay $12b annually to.

Supernus Magister Sith
Total Posts: 34843
Member Since: 12/99

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 07:28 AM

We have millions of homeless and jobless here. $12b could help them out and put them into good housing and good job programs, but instead it goes to Israel. $12b could help out our low income schools and encourage our kids to learn instead of go out and shoot people... instead it goes to Israel.

$12b could help build a wall between our country and Mexico, instead it's going to help fund a wall between Israel and the Palestinian zones.

Supernus Magister Sith
Total Posts: 34843
Member Since: 12/99

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 07:30 AM

This message was edited by Supernus Magister Sith on May 08, 2007 07:48 AM

Yikes, I've been to these places.. Hard to believe people like that could be your neighbor. Good thing they caught 'em.

Wow. You're scared about six poorly trained men going into an army base and killing soldiers? You're more paranoid than I thought.

Ooops, nevermind, nothing to see here. This is just the Neocon White House reaction to Bush's lowest approval rating ever. Gotta have a pseudo, "foiled terror plot" to plaster on the news.

Oh yes, let's add the fact that Bush didn't get the war-funding bill he wanted. Now we have this? Gotta tell the dems to get in line with the Party, lest we be attacked again.

Supernus Magister Sith
Total Posts: 34843
Member Since: 12/99

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 07:31 AM

If the troops come home, the war will be fought at home.

While you're going about predicting improbabilities, what are my winning lotto numbers for tonight?

EvilDarthBear
Total Posts: 9672
Member Since: 09/04

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 07:38 AM

Wow. You're scared about six poorly trained men going into an army base and killing soldiers? You're more paranoid than I thought.

Any reasonable person would be. We have poorly trained terrorists killing our troops in Iraq, so I don't see why poorly trained terrorists couldn't surprise a U.S. military base and kill a few soldiers. Yeah, they would get filled with lead in about 10 seconds, but that doesn't mean they couldn't get off a lucky shot or two. I'd always prefer the plots to be broken up before they can be put into action.

		JediFett Total Posts: 41751 Member Since: 09/03

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 07:40 AM

Darth Kazi
Total Posts: 21557
Member Since: 06/02

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 07:41 AM

The US Army rejects the Trophy Defense System, developed and used by the IDF, which can protect our soldiers in Iraq with 90+% efficiency... over a system being developed by Raytheon which will not be fully ready for another 5 years.

Good to see how military is looking out for the profit of our defense contractors instead of the safety of our men and women in uniform.

Supernus Magister Sith
Total Posts: 34843
Member Since: 12/99

Date Posted: May 08, 2007 07:42 AM

Yeah, they would get filled with lead in about 10 seconds, but that doesn't mean they couldn't get off a lucky shot or two. I'd always prefer the plots to be broken up before they can be put into action.

Eat those words. In the coming days or weeks, the plot will be revealed to never have existed.

Besides, you've probably never set foot on a military base. Even in pre 9/11 days I felt jittery picking up a friend from Ft. Hood, so much I make a wrong move and the MPs open up on me.

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