John McCain wants boots on the ground
If you asked John McCain what he wants in his coffee, I believe he’d answer “US troops”. Senator McCain is the worst stereotypical Republican war hawk. Every time he’s asked about a foreign policy issue, his only solution is to put US boots on the ground.
While I’m not convinced that the president’s strategy against ISIS (whatever it is) has much chance of succeeding, but, this is what I’ll say in the president’s favor; the Iraqis, the Kurds, the Iranians and the Jordanians are much better suited to defeating the Islamic State than our forces. Not that they’re better trained or better equipped, but because they won’t be restricted by rules of engagement like our troops would be hamstrung.
The regional forces will kill the enemy without wringing their hands about how it will be viewed by the international press. They won’t be considering the score of lawyers’ opinions, they probably won’t have to deal with prisoner treatment issues, because I don’t expect there be too many survivors.
I cringe every time I see someone in the media interviewing McCain because I know what he’s going to say. In my opinion, we should give the president an opportunity to make his plan work without putting US troops in jeopardy. Let the Iraqis fight for themselves for a change. Let the Jordanians behead a few Islamic State warriors. Let the Kurds expend as much ammo as we can afford. I’m not crazy about allying ourselves with Iran, but a couple of those suicide assaults they used against the Iraqis in their war would thin the herd at ISIS.
We can blame the President for letting the ISIS thing happen in the first place, but I’m all for sitting back and watching the regional forces beat the crap out of each other for a change without American troops being placed in imminent danger. Then we can reap the whirlwind. It’s the Arab-speaking world’s problem anyway – let them deal with it.
Category: Politics
I like many other 20+ year vets got jobs with the DoD, I work with a unit that is still engaged in the sandbox. I’m on the fence, on one side I see your point. I knew when we did the ‘vacuum’ pull-out that we would be back. None of us go to the grocery store and say ‘Let me pay double or triple for an item’ I don’t like paying twice for the same ground. I lost some friends but a real good one in particular: http://projects.militarytimes.com/valor/army-staff-sgt-wentz-jerome-henry-shanaberger-iii/257089 The 11th anniversary is coming up. How we got where we’re at is the man at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave made a decision. One side of me wants to put my uniform back on and get back there and get some payback. Then the reality sets in, can’t run, can’t bend and they don’t make ‘EXTRA-FAT’ ACUs. Many years ago I got me a brandy new LT, just minted out of school. He saw my SSIFWT (common name Combat patch) and said ‘I can’t wait until I earn one of them!’ I responded “Sometimes it’s easier to live without one than to live with one.” Time passed, we never deployed together but I ran into him when he was coming back from his second Iraq vacation. We had beers and he related that he finally understood what I had said all those years ago. So The other side of me doesn’t want the young soldiers to experience the things that we have. I propose we NUKE the M#$%^&-F%#(^ back to the stone age.
That’s foward into the stone age.
Imho
What is Nuking them into the stone age going to set them back? A Month? 6 weeks? 😀
Perfect!
Ah … Now that is funny.
It’s the Arab-speaking world’s problem anyway – let them deal with it.
And if they can’t then they don’t deserve to keep their countries. We couldn’t prop up South Vietnam, that corrupt cess pool collapsed in front of a determined North Vietnamese army and we would have had 30 more years of jungle warfare if we’d stayed to keep the South free. We’ve never left Korea, or Japan, or Germany….if we go we need to plan on staying for a really long time or we should just do as you suggest and see if these turds can find some intestinal fortitude and keep their countries intact.
While I don’t think that boots on the ground is the answer, I don’t think totally ruling out any on the ground participation ever is the right call either.
While I loath the current administration, and their rollout of their ISIS AUMF proposal just sucked the big one, the portion of the document that included the authorities requested wasn’t bad. I like the fact that it is at least limited by time, though I think it odd that we claim its a 10 year fight and limit ourself to three years is a little overly optimistic.
John, you are right on in terms of who needs to do the heavy lifting on the ground with this…partners who aren’t worried about getting their hands dirty.
Barry asked for 3 years so it can be somebody else’s problem. And IF Jeb Bush gets elected, Code Pink will be orgasmic claiming the whole war is “Bush’s fault”
Even if its Hillary or a different Dem in the WH, they would still cry “Bush’s fault”.
Agree, it’s some kicking the can down the road to be someone elses problem, but its also better than giving an openended authorization.
Kind of a off beat question, but if he AUMF is approved with the original Iraq war authorization ended, shouldn’t that result in the closing of the Arabian Peninsula Combat Zone that has been in place sine 1991?
When you’re a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. . . with the same solution.
And I agree. Let the ME fight it out among themselves. With indirect support for the Kurds.
How many years did we continue to occupy Germany and Japan after that little altercation? So now we go in again to one of these “cradles of civilization” and destroy some faction and then leave. Then another group fills that vacuum and we’re back to square one. Either get serious about this stuff or stay the hell out of it. If we were to stay in some of those lovely countries they need to start paying US for saving their butts, not us paying them for the privilege. I’m old and delusional…
Sounds like a plan to me! Already have my popcorn ready.
Haven’t we paid McCain enough for him to retire and go away yet?
I agree with Jonn. We need to stay out of there, particularly since no one in power seems to have the brains or intestinal fortitude to let our soldiers fight as they should. Let the ME kill their own problems.
I don’t like the situation as it has become in the Middle East. We shoulda, coulda did a lot of things differently. Big O just seems to keep making things worse. So we either need to get off the shitter and win this thing, which means going in and kicking ass till the job is done. News media be dammed, they should be banned from front line units or tried for treason and shot every time they give away a plan. Also the media would have to shut the fuckup about killing whom ever….its war people die. Let’s go back to carpet bombing indiscriminately. These fuck turds there are supported by the locals, (same as every war) and you need to make it unpleasant to do that. Refer to what general Vo Nguyen Giap did for Vietnam. I not saying to kill indiscriminately…but go after the supporters…those providing shelter, food, info are just as guilty as those with a gun.
No blood for oil! Down with the corporate elite and imperialist Amerika!
….Just practicing. I’m thinking about writing for March Forward.
How would you like your ass handed to you? In a basket or on a platter?
PN,
I think he forgot to add the (/sarc) tag.
2/17, you DID forget the (/sarc) tag?
I don’t do that tag. It’s too much fun to let others try to determine whether I am serious in a comment or not. My favorite ‘baker’ under stands–and so does PN.
If we have to go back to the big litter box, I would say it should just be to support the Kurds and help make Kurdistan a reality. Fuck Syria and Fuck the ISF. Even Turkey has changed their position on having an independent Kurdistan as it would creat a buffer between them and ISIS.
McCain should learn when to quit talking.
This part: “In my opinion, we should give the president an opportunity to make his plan work without putting US troops in jeopardy. Let the Iraqis fight for themselves for a change. Let the Jordanians behead a few Islamic State warriors. Let the Kurds expend as much ammo as we can afford. I’m not crazy about allying ourselves with Iran, but a couple of those suicide assaults they used against the Iraqis in their war would thin the herd at ISIS.” – JL
I agree with this completely. It is their fight for their territory. There was an opportunity in the very beginning to stop it, but that was long, long years ago and it slid away because of politics. If all those tribes in the Middle East want to keep their own turf, they need to stop expecting others to do it for them.
Remember, the Afghans asked us to go in and drive out the Taliban after the Taliban helped them drive out the Soviets.
They bragged that they had kicked the Macedonian’s ass – what? 4,500 years ago? – but they couldn’t get rid of the Soviets without the Taliban, and they couldn’t get rid of the Taliban without the US, so who did those braggarts think they were kidding?
And, yeah, we did drive out the Taliban, but as soon as we left, they came right back in, so what was the point? Well, the point was that they couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag.
So, no, I do not think we should go back in there now, not unless we are prepared in every way possible to wage a real war with a real goal, called WINNING.
McCain: Senility on the Hoof. Hell of a hero 50 years ago, now… not so much.
I’d be a lot happier supporting a strategy that says “We will give the Jordanian and Kurds all the bullets and bombs they need” and let them settle their own backyard. Hell, give the Kurds Syria – they couldn’t do worse.
We have a real ally in the Middle East but Mr. Obama doesn’t like Mr. Netanyahu so we don’t speak. That is sort of okay, the Israelis don’t much like Bibi very much either but Buji and Zipi are no better.
We could have another ally in the ME (Kurdistan) but we let the Iranians, Turks, and Iraqis intimidate us into not supporting them. Why we give a shit what any of those three think is beyond me … we get sand from Iraq, grief from Turkey, and Hezbollah and grief from Iran. I guess I don’t understand this whole realpolitik thing.
I’m for boots on the ground killing scum. Only if Hussein has no say, control, or anyone in his adminstration is involved.
Let the warfighters get things done.
Here is a concept. We announce we are pulling out of the ME totally except for Israel where we will station forces to protect them by acting as a trip wire in case they are attacked.
We sell low tech weapons and arms to any ME government who comes calling.
We inform the European slackers its time to pony up since they have a more immediate threat.
ME countries need to fight it out period. European countries need to step up and protect their own interests instead of riding on the backs of American military lives and tax payers.
Refugees you ask? They stay in the ME in neighboring countries or they go to European countries if they cant or wont limit the flood and we only allow those who served the US in these wars or those with academic and scientific value just like most other western nations.
We have wasted enough time, money, and lives on this worthless region of the world and their wacky religion. Time to become isolationist with regard to the ME, focus on our own problems and security here at home. We should continue to project power only so much as it protects OUR citizens and OUR immediate interests.
F*** the concept of us being the world’s policeman, moral authority, and “force for good” anymore.
Most of the world ain’t worth our effort, money, or blood.
Trust me folks, I’m no Obama apologist, but can someone explain in a little more detail how this all has come to pass considering the Iraqi gov’t (parliament, whatever they’re called) failed to approve a SoFA agreement. I thought it would have been detrimental for U.S. troops to stay beyond 2011, lest they be subject to their laws?
I do realize this gov’t failed to broker a workable agreement, but I think it’s fair to keep things in context.
I think you have it backwards. The O administration failed to negociate it and get it signed.
The failure was part of the plan to retreat.
You know, I think we ought to activate Johnny War, give him a rifle and drop him somewhere in Iraq. I don’t think he’d be quite as fast to commit troops if he made it out.