# It's game on.......



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

We have attacked Syria. 

Mattis was quoted as having said, "This is a one time shot". 

One time shots rarely work out.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Maybe we need boots on the ground. Send them Death from the Skies.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

WWI ---the “war to end all wars”.....

Korea --- Piece of cake will be about a year......

Vietnam --- Easy Peasy-----

And the beat goes on.........


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

In for a dime, in for a dollar.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

That's one way to remove COMEY off the news reel


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## CentexShooter (Dec 30, 2007)

OMG! Putin is threatening to embargo all shipments of borscht to the USA. God help us all!


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

pic said:


> That's one way to remove COMEY off the news reel


Other wars have been started with equally unimportant excuses.


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

Craigh said:


> Maybe we need boots on the ground. Send them Death from the Skies.


Yay, we'll re-activate Paratrooper. :smt1099 :smt070


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

BackyardCowboy said:


> Yay, we'll re-activate Paratrooper. :smt1099 :smt070


Absolutely. The enemy won't like that. He can be part of reorganizing the 13th Airborne Division which was deactivated after WWII. They had a unicorn patch. Most of the paratroopers were merged into the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions after 1946.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Airborne_Division_(United_States)


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

The net gain of all of this is that we successfully executed a very politically correct act of war against a genuine tyrant, in concert with NATO allies, with no apparent losses of our own. We kicked a bully in the nuts, and apparently got away with it.

Sure, it cost millions of borrowed dollars, but the Navy needed the practice, and it bolsters our ability to participate in the high level brinkmanship that our enemies love so much, and that so many recent American presidents were not very good at. The KGB graduate that manages Russia for the oligarchs has confirmed that, yes, Trump really is a 'cowboy' that must not be pushed too far. As a bonus, North Korea has further evidence that we can kick the ass of any tinpot, third world dictator, with one hand tied behind our backs. Kudos to the Navy, for doing their job bravely and well.

Next crisis, please.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

I have never been a fan of getting entangled in the internal problems of foreign nations. I believe in what both Jefferson and Washington said when they warned about this. However I do admit to being in favor of this when the need arises. With Syria I just am not convinced of the need. A good example of such a need would have been the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany in the 30's.

But I also have to admit that I in no way know all the facts behind our moves yesterday so I will sit on the sidelines with concern about our actions and see how it plays out.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

Normally, I would agree that we shouldn’t get further involved in the quagmire over there but for a couple of reasons; first, any leader who would gas his own countrymen needs to be taken out, and I mean physically, not figuratively. Second, we have to be conscious of what likely will be a future big problem over there, that of Iran’s activities. Like it or not, we are going to eventually be in a direct conflict with them either over their nuclear ambitions, or their actions towards Israel. I guess no time like the present to let them know there is a line they dare not cross.


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## Tip (Aug 22, 2012)

Bisley said:


> The net gain of all of this is that we successfully executed a very politically correct act of war against a genuine tyrant, in concert with NATO allies, with no apparent losses of our own. We kicked a bully in the nuts, and apparently got away with it.
> 
> Sure, it cost millions of borrowed dollars, but the Navy needed the practice, and it bolsters our ability to participate in the high level brinkmanship that our enemies love so much, and that so many recent American presidents were not very good at. The KGB graduate that manages Russia for the oligarchs has confirmed that, yes, Trump really is a 'cowboy' that must not be pushed too far. As a bonus, North Korea has further evidence that we can kick the ass of any tinpot, third world dictator, with one hand tied behind our backs. Kudos to the Navy, for doing their job bravely and well.
> 
> Next crisis, please.


You left out another minor point - supposedly Russia has installed front line anti-missile and anti-aircraft defense systems in the area and claimed they would knock down any attack. While news reports indicate they may have been successful on a very VERY limited basis they failed miserably in stopping the attack......

Been a while since front line systems have met on a battlefield....


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

If I get re-activated, I'm bringing my walking stick.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

RK3369 said:


> Normally, I would agree that we shouldn't get further involved in the quagmire over there but for a couple of reasons; first, any leader who would gas his own countrymen needs to be taken out, and I mean physically, not figuratively. Second, we have to be conscious of what likely will be a future big problem over there, that of Iran's activities. Like it or not, we are going to eventually be in a direct conflict with them either over their nuclear ambitions, or their actions towards Israel. I guess no time like the present to let them know there is a line they dare not cross.


Taking out ruthless dictators that prey on their own citizens seems like a noble cause. But in a region that has been doing things like this for centuries, I would prefer to let them resolve their problems with government by revolution, like the rest of us did. The American people don't have the necessary resolve to expend the blood and treasure that would be needed to fix what we think is wrong with the Middle East. We proved that in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our fantastic military forces can win the wars, within months, but it takes a generation to win the peace, and would require us to install our own military dictatorship, while trying to teach democracy to the locals - hardly a popular notion in democratic countries.

I'm not against a president using military force to protect our interests, wherever necessary. And I'm happy to see WMD being targeted anywhere that it might harm our soldiers or allies. But, as sad as this chemical attack against Assad's own people is, it probably does not surpass the thousands of other atrocities that didn't grab our attention. If these attacks truly do deliver a message that will serve our interests, fine. But, if not, I would rather that they be avoided. We can't save all of the mistreated civilians of the world. Sometimes, we can help them save themselves, but that's about it.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Bisley said:


> I would prefer to let them resolve their problems with government by revolution, like the rest of us did.


As I know you understand, this is more than a simple revolution or civil war with Russia providing the hardware needed for Syria to do their gastly deeds. Had France supported the British in 1776 instead of us, we'd probably be saying "God Bless the Queen" after a haggis dinner these days. As long as Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin supports Bashar Hafez al-Assad, those people don't have a chance at overthrowing their tyrannical regime.


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## Blackhawkman (Apr 9, 2014)

Assad is another saddam hussein and like his father before him supports the ISIS fighters.....also the head of the snake...?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

History has shown how to temporarily stop the garbage going on over there but today no one has the will to do it so it will go on and on.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

I note Israel has a military hospital near the Golan. They've been medivacing in Syrian rebels who are injured and caring for them. Most are brought to the border by rebel trucks or even on foot. An interesting and novel concept. IDF soldiers and chopper pilots risking their lives when a rebel radio asked for help. From the article I read, they are winning the hearts and minds of some of them. I'm not sure how long it would last after the conflict, but it's working somewhat for now. The rehabbed rebel soldiers can rejoin the fight, but are not forced to. Israel claims all the patients are civilian, but I read many rebel soldiers are considered civilian once they are injured.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-syria-assad-treating-airstrikes-military-wounded-injured-war-a7673771.html

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/.premium-israeli-hospital-takes-in-syrians-leads-world-in-treating-war-wounds-1.5467873


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

Craigh said:


> As I know you understand, this is more than a simple revolution or civil war with Russia providing the hardware needed for Syria to do their gastly deeds. Had France supported the British in 1776 instead of us, we'd probably be saying "God Bless the Queen" after a haggis dinner these days. As long as Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin supports Bashar Hafez al-Assad, those people don't have a chance at overthrowing their tyrannical regime.


That's true enough. But then I ask myself,"who do you want to win?" In this particular civil war, we have an evil dictator on one side, and some very nasty terrorists on the other side. The Kurds have been decent allies, for the most part, but they don't love us for all the help we've given them. They are basically the same as the Comanches were in our western frontier days - they fight everybody that's not them. Beyond them, the rebels are basically ISIS and other terrorist groups that are our declared enemies. The poor folks who are caught between them are on whichever side that kills or abuses them the least often, and we would have to kill half of them to save the other half, if we went to war for them. It's a situation that no logical person wants to get caught up in.

As for the Russians, there are plenty of other places we can confront them, if it is to our advantage. This is the conflict THEY want us to get caught up in.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

Craigh said:


> I note Israel has a military hospital near the Golan. They've been medivacing in Syrian rebels who are injured and caring for them. Most are brought to the border by rebel trucks or even on foot. An interesting and novel concept. IDF soldiers and chopper pilots risking their lives when a rebel radio asked for help. From the article I read, they are winning the hearts and minds of some of them. I'm not sure how long it would last after the conflict, but it's working somewhat for now. The rehabbed rebel soldiers can rejoin the fight, but are not forced to. Israel claims all the patients are civilian, but I read many rebel soldiers are considered civilian once they are injured.
> 
> https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-syria-assad-treating-airstrikes-military-wounded-injured-war-a7673771.html
> 
> https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/.premium-israeli-hospital-takes-in-syrians-leads-world-in-treating-war-wounds-1.5467873


The Israelis, out of necessity, are very pragmatic people. So, I imagine they are recruiting agents, among other things. At the very least, they are poking a finger in the eye of Assad, by returning them to the battlefield.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

In modern way of doing things there is no good outcome. The Ottoman Empire knew how to deal with those in Arabia But the British Empire wanted to rule Arabia at set up the boundaries they wanted, not by the tribes so now we have each tribe fighting each other thinking they can control the world.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

I'm not convinced the motive is purely humanitarian . 

I think we are struggling to un-establish others from the region like Iran , and re-establish ourselves (USA).

We had a great opportunity that Obama purposely let get away.

Then again, who are we to know the long term strategy of this Syrian episode, Trump sold it.. But what is the real deal?

We only get what the news media feeds us,,,,and we all know how reliable the media is.

Every news channel has such great analysts!!! 

One week they're political strategists and the next week military strategists . It's a joke.

Im completely taking a wild guess here, my info also comes from the great American brainwashing machine THE TELEVISION !!


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

Yeah, the news media has gotten pretty sad, with 3-4 stories being pounded continuously, as if nothing else was happening in the world. Seems like they are interviewing each other about half the time. Obviously, they think everybody is too dumb to get it without a lot of repetition, and let's face it, they are not completely wrong about that.

Another bad thing they do is to blur the line between actual news and commentary, to the point that a casual, or part-time listener can't discern the difference.


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