Syria

[Capt Worley PE]

Can it get any more inflamed?

Yes, yes it can.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/28/world/middleeast/strike-on-syria-would-cause-one-on-israel-iran-declares.html?_r=0

 

[csb]

Wall Street Journal has an interesting Editorial: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324591204579039011328308776.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

I guess we are kinda yelling, "Ready or not, here we come!" to Syria.

I still think this is a bad, horrible, no-good idea.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^I don't think there are any options that aren't bad and horrible.

 

[Exception Collection]

Wall Street Journal has an interesting Editorial: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324591204579039011328308776.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

So... we're docking their allowance?

I did see an interesting article; supposedly we have intercepts of a higher-up ripping into a commander for using chemical weapons. If true, that tells me two things: First, it wasn't ordered. Second, that the weapons have been made available to commanders on the ground without oversight.

(Also, these are the kinds of leaks we should go after. But that's a different topic.)

 

[csb]

The pacifist in me is still struggling with who we are intending to kill in these strikes. The images of children from the last week don't inspire me to think bombing the crap out of these folks is going to be a a good thing.

That said, I know that war and fighting includes a lot of horrible things that I am glad I don't have to think about on a daily basis.

 

[Judowolf PE]

The problem with this region is that if/when we step in and take control, who do you leave to run the government after we leave? Sadam was one of our mistakes from the 80's, we helped him into power and then he turned on us. It's one thing to drive one country out of another country, but to step into a civil war is another issue completely. You have to pick a side and just because the rebels are the enemy of our "enemy" Assad, doesn't make them our friend. Helping to drive one government out, and expecting the new government to be grateful doesn't seem to be one of our strong suits.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

The pacifist in me is still struggling with who we are intending to kill in these strikes.

I think the overall plan will be knock out CW weapons w/out killing anyone but the folks guarding them.

Then just sit back and let them pop at one another with AK-47s.

Judo, in this case taking out Assad isn't a great option because what follows will be worse. Our gov wants this to work out on its own timeline, minus the CWs.

Just my $0.02.

 

[csb]

No one stepped in and helped us when those rebels in the South had their little uprising.

oking:

 

[Judowolf PE]

Capt, I fully agree. I believe that we should be more hands off on these civil war situations, especially in the Middle East. I was in support of the Iraq war simply for the WMD issue, which I still believe were there. Sadam was harsh, but kept the country mostly stable.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Capt, I fully agree. I believe that we should be more hands off on these civil war situations, especially in the Middle East. I was in support of the Iraq war simply for the WMD issue, which I still believe were there. Sadam was harsh, but kept the country mostly stable.

And do you recall where Saddam's CWs were reputed to have gone before Gulf War II started? Hmmmm......

(hint, it is in the title of the thread)

 

[Exception Collection]

No one stepped in and helped us when those rebels in the South had their little uprising.

oking:

True, but during the Revolution Americans did receive aid from France and Spain.

 

[Judowolf PE]

Unfortunately, if Syria wants WMD's, they can get them from their buddies the Russians...to me it's a lot like North Korea, China may not like their little brother very much, but don't you go knocking him down...

 

[snickerd3]

CW...fall into the inventions i wish could have been uninvented category.

 

[Road Guy]

No one stepped in and helped us when those rebels in the South had their little uprising.

oking:

It wasn't an uprising, we freely entered into a union and we felt we could freely exit it.....

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Unfortunately, if Syria wants WMD's, they can get them from their buddies the Russians...

Nah, I think by treaty Russia can't do that, although the Russians helped with the CW program (always a loophole).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_Weapons_Convention

That's another little twist, to it. Russia probably doesn't want the depth of their involvement in Syria's CW program know.

Also note in that Wiki link about Iraq's CWs...

When Iraq joined the CWC in 2009, it declared "two bunkers with filled and unfilled chemical weapons munitions, some precursors, as well as five former chemical weapons production facilities" according to OPCW Director General Rogelio Pfirter.[12]

 

[Capt Worley PE]

No one stepped in and helped us when those rebels in the South had their little uprising.

oking:

It wasn't an uprising, we freely entered into a union and we felt we could freely exit it.....

And thus began the War of Northern Aggression.

 

[csb]

Is anyone else confusing chemical weapons and Captain Worley when we're abbreviating CW?

I don't think we've ever come out ahead when we've assisted other countries in battles via providing weapons. This seems like we're detonating the weapons first.

 

[YMZ PE]

Is anyone else confusing chemical weapons and Captain Worley when we're abbreviating CW?

Yes! I like when one CW gets in my face but not the other.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

^^^ What do you have against Capt in your face?

 

[Master slacker]

No one stepped in and helped us when those rebels in the South had their little uprising.

oking:

It's called "The War of Northern Aggression" for a reason.