Thoughts about Syria.
With all this talk about military action in Syria it is a topic of concern for active military. Right now there seems to be more questions then answers. Questions like:
1. If troops are committed to the ground, how will the threat of insider attacks similar to those that happened in Afghanistan be confronted?
2. With the VA still in backlog over claims from the conflict from Iraq and Afghanistan, what is the plan of action to ensure military personal wounded/injuries from a military operation in Syria have effective and prompt medical care?
3.With US troops still in Afghanistan until late 2014 and the reduction in total force size, how is it possible to avoid being overstretched. Especially if the operation becomes extended like the OIF and OEF?
4.Considering how results from the missile strikes in the Pakistan border in the past ten years, how will a missile strike in Syria have a different outcome then the one that we have been launching for the past few years?
I mean for me it seems that the current Administration is is having a very hard time ending the conflict in Afghanistan, what would give use the confidence in them in starting/escalating a conflict? Will the ROEs be more realistic in the sense of giving our troops the ability to defend themselves without the fear of a Courts Martial every time they pull the trigger? What happens if troops are committed, will the Administration have the same enthusiasm in supporting the mission? That same enthusiasm that that seems to be lacking in Afghanistan for the past few years.
Which brings the real question is;
Why should think that a operation in Syria would not end badly or prolonged involvement considering how things are going in Afghanistan and on the home front for the Veterans of OEF?
Category: Veterans Issues
Imagine all the blue on green attacks…shit. Wait let me think about that for a second. Who exactly are the bad guys over there?
I wonder if the Russians will keep up with their threats.
There’s this: http://theoptimisticconservative.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/rock-hard-place-syria/
There’s another issue that is being ignored.
Someone, please, list one time since at least the beginning of the industrial age, where a “limited punitive” attack accomplished a single damned thing other than provide the attacked party perfect propaganda to explain future attacks against the attackers?
Whatever happens down the road, the Nimitz task force group is moving through the Arabian Sea, in the even they should be needed in the Med.
http://news.msn.com/world/uss-nimitz-carrier-group-rerouted-for-possible-syria-help
However, there are other groups sounding off now:
Agence France Presse: http://www.breakingnews.com/item/ahZzfmJyZWFraW5nbmV3cy13d3ctaHJkcg0LEgRTZWVkGPPEgxQM/2013/09/02/france-to-give-lawmakers-proof-that-syrias-regime
Syria: http://www.breakingnews.com/item/ahZzfmJyZWFraW5nbmV3cy13d3ctaHJkcg0LEgRTZWVkGNvY_xMM/2013/09/02/syria-asks-the-un-to-prevent-any-aggression-agains
China: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/china-says-concerned-about-unilateral-military-action-against-syria-29544623.html
Russia: http://www.breakingnews.com/item/ahZzfmJyZWFraW5nbmV3cy13d3ctaHJkcg0LEgRTZWVkGMmHgBQM/2013/09/02/russia-is-sending-a-reconnaissance-ship-from-its-b
So, are we going to have a big, ugly fight over a Middle Eastern country that has a 15,000 year history of internal strife? Or are we going to let it play itself out and stay out of it?
First afganistan, then iraq, now syria all arabic for vietnam! Alone maybe not. All to gether you betcha! And their will be more! Uncle sam has got himself in a terrible jam way down yonder in arabic lands! Thanks country joe. “Give me an F!” Anyone think republican pussys will stand up to obama and vote NO! That is why they are called chickenshit hawks!
@5, shut up and leave. You are not a part of the Vietnam era, and you never were. You weren’t even a twinkle in someone’s eye.
Thi is a summary of responses by governments in various countries:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23849587
@5, did you even make it to the fifth grade before you droppped out of school and started drawing welfare?
With the Al Nusra Front,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Nusra_Front_to_Protect_the_Levant (a declared terrorist group by the US, UK, and Australia that is made up of scumbags from Zarqawi’s old network in Iraq)being a key group among these “rebels”, how can any politician that actually cares about this country tell the American public that we should be helping them in any way?
This is something out of the Twilight Zone.
Zero, Zero, Zero there you go using common sense,facts and rational logic and you know better. The Won must send a attack to save his word(?)er manhood(?) or something of that thing. The Won is not brothered or cares about dead servicemen only the Won image matters. Joe
This article makes the point, about halfway into it, that neither the US nor Syria has publicly provided proof of their claims for the source of those chemical weapons.
http://news.msn.com/world/syria-dismisses-obama-as-confused-moves-troops
Joe W., manhood? Really? (giggle-snort) That’s too funny!
My national security philosophy:
If it’s not a threat, we shouldn’t be there.
If it is a threat, IT shouldn’t be there.
Here’s how those “limited” strikes and punitive actions may be summed up: The Balkans.
Frikkin’ Bill Clinton got us involved in such an affair in the frikkin’ 90’s, and we STILL have troops there!
This entire thing is a no-brainer. There is nothing in Syria worth a single drop of American lives, nor worth the spending of a single penny of our national treasure.
Bodaprez hasn’t thought any of this shit through past the fact he’s all butthurt and needs to show the world he can be a tough guy too.
Uh, Barruh? It ain’t tough unless you put YOUR balls on the line. And everything you’ve done so far is designed to shift blame away from you. Real ballsy there, pal.
Tim, I don’t think it’ll go that far. IMO, the POTUS will only authorize missile strikes in a “show the flag” operation. In this situation, I’m glad he lacks the stones to commit American ground forces. There’s absolutely no need to deploy Army or Marine units to this fight. For that matter, there’s no need for us to “do something” in Syria at all.
Why don’t we just make some “chemical weapon free” zone signs and Barry, Feinstein and the other jerks can go put them up around Syria. i mean, it works for guns, right???
Sporkmaster, I could answer your question #2 with this: Register with the VA to start the claim process, but get the VA Health Care application form and get yourself enrolled in the program. Even if you don’t have a service-connected disability, if you’re a vet, you are still entitled to it if you need it.
Worst case scenario: the WH leaks the target list, Assad stockpiles a ton of chemical weapons at ground zero, which are then blown up by a TLAM resulting in a humanitarian disaster not seen since winter of 1945.
And who is responsible? Assad for having those old Iraqi chemical weapons? Or Obama for blowing them up? Regardless, international law will force sanctions on the US.
Which may be the plan – Obama did promise Putin more cooperation after the election.
Actually, DaveO, Obama said “After the election, I’ll have more flexibility.” He did not say one word about ‘more cooperation’.
So, John McCain, who is very eager to be at the forefront of this, has rushed off to the White House for a confab with Bodaprez. From ‘Breaking News’, a tweet:
https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller/status/374588781720260608
#19 Ex-PH2: Yes, you’re correct. You’re stating Bodaprez was discussing a flexibility-enhancing yoga program?
The best quote of the week.
“We are bombing Syria because Syria is bombing Syria. And I am the Idiot”
21 should end “Sarah Palin” Something went pear shaped in that last post. No lo so.
@20 – DaveO, now THAT is funny!!
Our enemies are killing each other. Why interfere?
Redacted1775: makes sense to me.