Trent Lott has a plan for Iraq

A fine example of why I'm glad you have Trent Lott and we don't. Don't worry though, the mayor of Toronto's ALMOST as much of a dumbass as he is.

 

It was a dumb comment, even for Lott. Thinking first & then talking is usually a good idea for a politician. He hasn't learned that yet at his advanced age.

But a more moderate voice like McCain in the same article said that we can't pvssyfoot around in Iraq and expect to be effective. Basically the Admin. & military has to come to a consensus on just what we're going to be doing there. Peacekeeping (which appears to be the case now - it's not working too well) or real combat with the remnants of the Hussein regime. IMO if we're in there we can't be indecisive. That's what could get more troops killed. Do the job right or get the hell out.

 

But the terrorists or resistance or Baathists or whoever are not going to stand and fight, Manny. They're going to be doing exactly what they're doing. Our mission is to keep the civilian population supporting us instead of them. Going in harder militarily really only works when the civilians are on your side, or you flat out don't care what the civilians think. And that's not the war we're fighting.

Lott's idea is, as Talleyrand would have said, worse than a crime - a blunder.

 

Seeing things there, Dan?

Anyway, I would say most of the Iraqi population is on our side. And "getting out" isn't an option at this point--that's exactly what we did in Somalia, and that's why bin Laden thought he could get away with attacking the US (he said as much--and, until 9/11, he was right). Like it or not, our troops are there for the long haul.

IMO we need to increase our human intelligence assets on the ground. That's how we'll find Saddam and his henchmen. And, whatever we do, if we do get a tab on Saddam, we need to go after him with US forces--we can't afford to repeat the mistakes of Tora Bora.

 

If it were the right eye, I could save it. But the left eye is quite incurable.

-- From Zadig, or Fate.

 

But, but...isn't the intel being used up to find those WMD?

"On the ground" means we need people who speak the language or have locals who want to help. So, if the people are supporting the US troops, as you say, then they would help.

I don't know.
The terrorist attacks are being shown to be paid jobs. One guy they found, who was from Syria and he said he was paid. In fact, he was paid a few hundred dollars, not that much in reality. I'd imagine that the locals are being paid NOT to help the troops and the others are just too scared or don't know.

Not much to go on, especially when you consider that the troops really don't want to be there.

 

Must've been the navy. You see the fruitcake hats & pants they make them wear?

 

Or worse, have terrorists actually working the inside job at Gitmo. It is a real shame when you see who the military has fired and hired.

But, let's allow that Gay Arba deal rest. It's not like in their society they would have been accepted.

In fact, it seems that we need more background on this issue. Being gay is not a crime in the military per se. You could be heterosexual and still not get any play from the ladies.

It is the part that these guys were caught in the act or were telling people they were gay, right?

Clinton always said, don't ask, don't tell.

 

"Honestly, it’s a little tougher than I thought it was going to be,” Lott said. In a sign of frustration, he offered an unorthodox military solution: “If we have to, we just mow the whole place down, see what happens."

Worked for Syria, they know how to deal with extremists, turn their areas into parking lots for a new shopping mall.

 

You have some powerful nutters there

This Trent Lott guy is making quite a reputation for himself.

And then I read about this Lieutenant-General Boykin who is quoted in the Economist as saying stuff like "I knew my God was bigger than his God, and his was an idol" when reffering to a Muslim Somali warlord he dealt with. Another great quote from this guy is:

"Why is [George Bush] in the White House ?. The majority of Americans did not vote for him. I tell you this morning that he's in the White House because God put him there."

This bible-bashing loon would be a comic figure if he wasn't such a senior figure in the military, and made deputy undersecretary of defence in June. He surely would have to work with Islamic countries on matters of intelligence and security !.

 

I'm flattered

 

Heh. Oops.

Sorry, you all look alike to me.

Hey, some of my best friends are conservatives.

Wouldn't want my sister to marry one, though.