Can we win

[Rock Island Ranger]

Just how big of a patrol base could we form up on the farm, anyway, Padre?

Assuming people bring food, we can handle a fair boat load. I can feed my clan up to 6 months right now and provide electricity for 4 hours a day for a year. Food is the issue. Frankly....its open and available but BYOF. Lot of cattle in the area would end up as meat. As well as deer, and anything else with a wing or fur.

[Chiron]

IMO< we (Americans) will never defeat the terrorist: until they change thier belief that they have to die for allha to a belief that they must live for allha.

The Quran in Sura 9 it sums it up. They will kill infidels for ever...

I always wondered why they don't attack China.....no religion...is there? They know the Little yellow bastards would enslave their asses in a week.

Muslims always say you may be our enemy but when your enemy is mine then we fight together. Plus China is a BILLION + people. Who ever picks the fight with China has balls.

[Chiron]

I can't wait until all of the oil runs dry and we can leave the Middle East as a giant third world region with no source of income. Then the real fun will begin as they realize that they need America in order to survive.

Imagine when the Saudis run out of oil and then we end up with the worlds greatest population of wahabis running around looking to kill something....

That's when the range gets hottest!

[hobbit]

Unfortunately, many of our contemporary generals aren't nearly so insightful.

What is the basis for this statement?

Of the many dissertations I could cite, I rather like Victor Davis Hanson's take on the matter:

"Currently, there are many retired generals appearing in frenetic fashion on television. Sometimes they hype their recent books, or, as during the three-week war, offer sharp interviews about our supposed strategic and operational blunders in Iraq — imperial hubris, too few troops, wrong war, wrong place, and other assorted lapses.

Apart from the ethical questions involved in promoting a book or showcasing a media appearance during a time of war by offering an "inside" view unknown to others of the supposedly culpable administration of the military, what is striking is the empty nature of these controversies rehashed ad nauseam.

Imagine that, as we crossed the Rhine, retired World War II officers were still harping, in March, 1945, about who was responsible months during Operation Cobra for the accidental B-17 bombing, killing, and wounding of hundreds of American soldiers and the death of Lt. Gen. Leslie McNair; or, in the midst of Matthew Ridgeway's Korean counteroffensives, we were still bickering over MacArthur's disastrous intelligence lapses about Chinese intervention that caused thousands of casualties. Did the opponents of daylight bombing over Europe in 1943 still damn the theories of old Billy Mitchell, or press on to find a way to hit Nazi Germany hard by late 1944?

So we know the nature of these weary debates. Both sides offer reasonable arguments. Fine. But let us not fool ourselves any longer that each subsequent "exposé" and leak by some retired general, CIA agent, or State Department official — inevitably right around publication date — offers anything newer, smarter, or much more ethical in this dark era that began on September 11.

What we need, then, are not more self-appointed ethicists, but far more humility and recognition that in this war nothing is easy. Choices have been made, and remain to be made, between the not very good and the very, very bad. Most importantly, so far, none of our mistakes has been unprecedented, fatal to our cause or impossible to correct.

So let us have far less self-serving second-guessing, and far more national confidence that we are winning — and that radical Islamists and their fascist supporters in the Middle East are soon going to lament the day that they ever began this war."

[Chiron]

The enemy has studied us in every way for a long time. They know our center of gravity, which is the American people and his actions are directed at their psyche, to destroy their morale. And I'm sorry to say, our enemy knows the psyche of the average American and are playing them like a fiddle.

True they have been studying in American Universities for years. They have us rapped around their fingers.

The anti war liberals are playing right into the hands of the enemy, and leading future generations straight to slaughter! Let there be no doubt, we are at war with radicals, but we are in conflict and competition with Islam. We need to stop being PC, whoever said that is right on the money. Our enemy uses the predisposition against us, along with our apathy. Anti war liberals live in a world of delusion, they can't stand the reality of the situation. Radical Islam is taking over the entire religion.

So true. So many threads reading the same thing. You know the liberals are reading but wonder why they don't understand.

Anyone catch Glen Beck lastnight? I hope America was watching, because the clarion call was definately sounded. Sadly, I think it's going to take another catastrophic attack to slap the fuck out of the anti war liberals and put some starch in the britches, if that will even do it.

In the meantime, I keep stocking my basement with survival gear.

Agree regretably.

[91W]

What does "winning" mean? The comment that the last war we won was WWII I feel is correct. Please do not take that wrong, ALL Vets that have fought since then have done so with my utmost respect.

We are doing battle in a region that has been in conflict after conflict. My belief is that there has been only lulls in the battle over the years. We are dealing with a group of people, and I use that loosely, that will kill you over some fucked up interpretation of religion. They also are some of the fastest to turn on you if they do not get want they want. I met Iraqi's that praised you one day and a month later wanted to kill you because they fasted for 30days and Allah said to through some Cleric.

That being said I believe the mission can be accomplished. I believe that a Government can be established and equipped to survive on its own. I believe also that if we stay until the fighting is over we will be there forever. At some point we need to say, there you go sink or swim, and come home and wait. Wait for the next terrorist attack to respond to. Having been there and seeing it first hand I believe that we are doing right by the world cleaning up a shit hole. It is kinda like the manure pits we had growing up. They have to be cleaned out from time to time but will never be completely empty and you will have to do it all over again.

If winning the War is stopping terrorist activity for good then it is not winnable. As long as there are radical religions there will be terrorism. Also as long as their are freedoms they will be attacked. I would rather take the fight to them then be doing it where my family is in danger.

Just a Leg's opinion....

[Rock Island Ranger]

Just how big of a patrol base could we form up on the farm, anyway, Padre?

Assuming people bring food, we can handle a fair boat load. I can feed my clan up to 6 months right now and provide electricity for 4 hours a day for a year. Food is the issue. Frankly....its open and available but BYOF. Lot of cattle in the area would end up as meat. As well as deer, and anything else with a wing or fur.

I'll bring a few 5 tons full of MRE's, bottled water and another 5 ton full of ammo/weapons!!!

Uhhhh....that should do er. Guess we could take over and own Colorado County.

[Flesh Thorn]

I'll be right here securing the I-81 corridor.

[BadMuther]

Just how big of a patrol base could we form up on the farm, anyway, Padre?

Assuming people bring food, we can handle a fair boat load. I can feed my clan up to 6 months right now and provide electricity for 4 hours a day for a year. Food is the issue. Frankly....its open and available but BYOF. Lot of cattle in the area would end up as meat. As well as deer, and anything else with a wing or fur.

I'll ride out the fallout and then head West so we can start up the Abell dict....errr presidency.

How's the water supply in that area????