December 5, 201510 yr Similar from the WSJ on Sirte, Libya; they're exporting their brand and trying to grab oil resources. This is a terrible game of whack-a-molehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-entrenches-in-sirte-libya-1448798153Shifty bastards.Not disengagement but selective direct action is our best tactic, our strategy needs to be money, guns and support for regional allies that meet serious requirements (anti-corruption, human rights, etc...) with a limited footprint in the ME. All of this accompanied by a cultural, moral argument against jihadism; an information campaign larger than our current one and the expansion of a what I would call active allies in this active intellectual confrontation against Islamic Fascism. This argument can not just be fought by the West; other nations, cultures, traditions, religions, etc... need to brought to isolate and confront intellectually the jihadis but their sympathizers and enablers. The civilized world has to call out the Saudis for exporting Wahhabism, the Iranians for support of Hezbollah, the Pakistanis for the assistance to the Taliban, etc... there are a ton of free riders out there enjoying the benefits of the liberal world order that has evolved, it's time to get everyone rowing who enjoys this boat...https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/05/28/the-pitfalls-of-a-whack-a-mole-strategy-against-isis/Easy to say, hard to implement given our current political climate. Pols want to score soundbite points and bumps in the poll numbers with quick shots from the hip and large military actions to project the image of strength and decisiveness. Our political cycles are so short that a careful, well thought strategy requiring years to be effective comes across as weakness because you don't get the immediate high of a major military ground action, seizure of territory but then followed by the hangover of occupation-pacification-nation building. That said, I think if a President (particularly one in their second term) laid out an agenda to contain and confront, offer help to change the nations and societies that produce nihilistic, sociopathic jihadis and be honest that this will take 20+ years because our ultimate goal is a generation of young people in the ME who don't hate us, other religions and want to do something other than blow themselves up on a bus or airplane and that we are gonna get all the Allies on board with this because we all stick together or hang together, this could work, but I'm an optimist...
December 5, 201510 yr The U.S. is running out of bombs to drop on ISIShttps://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/04/politics/air-force-20000-bombs-missiles-isis/index.html Seems a bit Chicken-Littleish to me, but how accurate is it?
December 6, 201510 yr sums it up.Reset option as seen from ground level.But Quinn was right, 200k boots on the ground indefinitely with the equal number teachers, doctors, etc.. but that could be low. Just a WAG but 200k boots on the ground and the civil rebuilding teams, logistics, support etc.. would be in the 85+ billion a year range with no end in sight. No thanks.
December 6, 201510 yr The U.S. is running out of bombs to drop on ISIShttps://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/04/politics/air-force-20000-bombs-missiles-isis/index.html Seems a bit Chicken-Littleish to me, but how accurate is it?We're not running out of bombs. We're running out of tailkits.
December 6, 201510 yr Looks like it's time to bring in the buff and clean up WW2 style. Carpet bombs for all my friends.
December 6, 201510 yr 2 hours ago, pawnman said: We're not running out of bombs. We're running out of tailkits. Only need a tailkit if you don't trust a ballistic release.
December 6, 201510 yr 37 minutes ago, gearpig said: Looks like Russia is mashing the rest button: https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQpxNA-uku4 CDE not on their 9 line I think.
December 7, 201510 yr 37 minutes ago, gearpig said: Looks like Russia is mashing the rest button: https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQpxNA-uku4 CDE not on their 9 line I think. CDE numbers exist for unguided munitions. It can be done.
December 7, 201510 yr 30 minutes ago, SurelySerious said: CDE numbers exist for unguided munitions. It can be done. True but our strategy (for lack of a better word) requires restraint, if it comes to needing cluster bombs, MOABs and napalm I'm ok with it but until then shoot carefully
December 7, 201510 yr 30 minutes ago, SurelySerious said: CDE numbers exist for unguided munitions. It can be done. True but our strategy (for lack of a better word) requires restraint, if it comes to needing cluster bombs, MOABs and napalm I'm ok with it but until then shoot carefully
December 8, 201510 yr 22 hours ago, SurelySerious said: Touche' mon ami Per usual, The Onion has the finest commentary on the situation: https://www.theonion.com/article/new-evidence-suggests-middle-east-conflict-predate-38428
December 8, 201510 yr On 12/7/2015, 6:14:12, gearpig said: Looks like Russia is mashing the rest button: https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQpxNA-uku4 Rocket artillery is beautiful. Looks like TOS-1. Iraqi appears to like theirs as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvQDIBlJ9KQ
December 16, 20159 yr On 12/7/2015 at 9:55 PM, busdriver said: 45 HADB rip 6 mk82 for all my friends 45? Bones are already out there...let's release 82 of those bad Johnnies.
December 17, 20159 yr 45 degree High Altitude Dive Bomb. Release a stick of 6 Mk-82s. Not anywhere near as many bombs as the B-1 brings to the fight, but the attack is a hell of a lot of fun.
December 22, 20159 yr This is worth 7 minutes of your time. https://homebrave.com/home-of-the-brave//on-the-ferry-from-lesbos-to-athens The host used to work for NPR, and is now independent. He spent some time in Afghanistan and other places.
December 23, 20159 yr 22 hours ago, gearpig said: Woah. Mind-blowing and infuriating. He certainly did his homework. Great post. Yet again, we're betting on the wrong horse with out politics. Turkey uses us and takes advantage of our need for a base, and we still take their crap? When Israel is siding with Russia, that should tell us something.
December 23, 20159 yr 7 hours ago, MD said: Yet again, we're betting on the wrong horse with out politics. Turkey uses us and takes advantage of our need for a base, and we still take their crap? When Israel is siding with Russia, that should tell us something. 2 While it might be a pain in the arse, operating out of Greece is possible, numerous bases and put another carrier on station. Cut the need for Incirlik and send a message to the new Sultan. Greece will let us operate there for some euros (a lot of euros) and set up a massive refugee relief operation there for humanitarian and PA purposes, making the point that Erdogan sucks and is not needed, not that he actually does shit to stop ISIS anyway. He and the rest of the "Freedom and Justice" party cronies are looking for an Ottoman Empire 2.0 including putting their tentacles into the Balkans, Europe should be wise and start to put him into check. Turkey's further integration while they flirt with quasi Islamism at the expense classic liberal values needs to be paused.
December 24, 20159 yr You had me at "operating out of Greece". Yup She's dressed pretty conservatively from what I saw in Crete and rest of the Islands. I'd go to Greece in a heartbeat.
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