Syria, Next?

[Baba Louie]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/888057.asp

"April 14 U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday accused Syria of testing chemical weapons and allowing Iraqi officials to flee into Syrian territory. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States would explore imposing sanctions on Syria. European leaders, meanwhile, urged Washington to tone down its rhetoric and stressed the need for dialogue with Damascus."

WMD, chemical weapons, fleeing Iraqi's, harbinger of terrorist network...

sigh.

Soon, it will be more than I can bear, and I'm not even over there or taking sides other than that which I think I know to be the truth. (Ambiguous enough?)

Kinda still waiting for anyone to come forth in Iraq and say "Look here Marine, WMD all over the place. See? See? He was a Baaaad Dictator!"

Now its Syria, it appears. Should we choose to attack Syria one way or another I do think that we'd end up wearing out our welcome in the beautiful mediterranean/mid-east desert.

How big IS Syria?

Is it about as big as New Jersey?

Could Pennsylvania kick its butt in a good old fashioned donneybrook?

Do we really want all these terriers barking and nipping around our ankles forever or should we put them in their place once-and-for-all?

Did someone say Pandora's Box? Must have been my imagination.

Adios

 

[Hkmp5sd]

I don't believe the US will use military force against Syria. To do so would convince the arabs that we are actually trying to eliminate the arab countries one at a time. The entire arab/muslim world would rapidly turn on the US.

In this case, I think sanctions and political pressure could make them stop. Especially if the UN wants to try to regain any credibility.

 

[SkunkApe]

We ARE trying eliminate the arab countries one at a time. Durn tootin' those Iraqi terrorists slunk off to Syria. Musta took their weapons of mass destruction with them, too. Otherwise we'd have found them by now. Durn foreigners.

 

[El Tejon]

We did not uncover all the crimes of the Nazis or communists right away either. Geez, let the Big Army settle things down.

Syria is next. We do not need Big Army, we only need the son of that snake to turn his head while he hose out the Monkey House.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Syria has been an Islamic terrorist state for decades.

 

[MPFreeman]

The entire arab/muslim world would rapidly turn on the US.

You're kidding?

As in they would change their course of action? Good. The course many of the middle eastern governments are on now is dangerous.

 

[TallPine]

The entire arab/muslim world would rapidly turn on the US.

Didn't that happen about 1993 ... ?

 

[El Tejon]

Think of the Middle East as rabid raccoons. Once you shoot one and pike his head, the others get the message and change direction and scurry away.

 

[MeekandMild]

The entire arab/muslim world would rapidly turn on the US.

Does that mean we could stop paying them foreign aid bribes?

 

[Frohickey]

Syria pretty much occupied Lebanon. They are the lone Arab state that haven't sign a peace agreement with Israel. Doesn't recognize Israel either. They usually lob stuff at Jews in the Golan Heights.

Jordan is a peaceful Arab state, after King Hussein figured out that he couldn't trust his other arab neighbors. Heck, he almost lost his country in the 70s, from Palestinian jihadists

Egypt, some of the 9-11 terrorists came from there. We give them foreign aid bribes. Mubarak is doing the keep-the-locals-enraged-while-I-take-money-from-the-US.

Saudi Arabia, most of the 9-11 terrorists came from there. They are pacifying their people with goodies bought with oil revenue. Kinda like keeping a drug junkie happy. Not gonna last long.

Iran... enuf said

Iraq. They are happy to be rid of Saddam. Time to win hearts and minds. Get a provisional government going there, get a real government going there, and have them invite us to keep a couple of airbases and army bases around. Kinda like what happened to Japan after WW2. They could turn out to be #3 in world economic power if they embrace American ideals.

Afghanistan. Time to win hearts and minds. Same as Iraq. I bet some Afghani women are hot, we just don't know it because of all the burkhas.

Turkey. They are about to slip and slide into bankruptcy. Should have let the US use their airspace and bases. Would have kept their creditors at bay for at least a few years. Should have taken the foreign loan guarantees being offered by GWB.

 

[Baba Louie]

HK,

I'd like to think you're right on this one but I do think that since the proverbial camel has his nose under the tent, bent on making hay while the sun shines (mixing metaphors) now's a really good time to seek out other terriers, their terrier training and breeding camps.

Since I gather that we've had Special Force Ops running around in Iraq since last summer (?), whose to say that we don't already have a team or three operating and snooping around in the neighbors back yards? Perhaps in cahoots with the Israeli's?

Pluck out one or two of the neighbors newfound citizens from across the border and maybe the neighbors will begin to see the light in our fashion and/or the evil of their ways.

We can always claim the Israeli's made us do it

Then again, maybe we just need Dick Marcinko and his band of merry warriors.

Adios

 

[CZ 75 BD]

On to Damascus....

That baby Assad needs a lesson as well.

 

[dog3]

Hkmp5sd;

The Entire Arab/Muslim world?

Well, for one thing, I don't buy it. For another,
for those Arab/Muslims that "would" turn on
us,

What would they do exactly?

Hijack our Airlines?

Hijack ferry boats and toss our folks
overboard?

Truck bomb our Embassies?

Truck bomb our marines barracks?

Ram boat-bombs into our ships?

Truck bomb our skyscrapers?

Commandeer civilian aircraft and ram
them into our symbolic buildings, killing
thousands?

What exactly would be different?

Back in Sept a couple of years back, I heard
our President state pretty clearly that we weren't gonna put up with this anymore. We've BEEN putting up with it for decades.
I don't think he was kidding. I didn't think it then, and I don't think it now.

 

[seeker_two]

Normally, I would say something like "...as long as we're in the neighborhood... "

...but I don't think we'll have to do much.

Think of this:

If Iraq sent a large number (or even a small number ) of their WMD's into Syria.....

...and the US happened to get solid intelligence (like locations & types) indicating this fact...

...and the US happened to leak that information where other intelligence agencies could pick it up...

...especially an intelligence agency in a neighboring country that has reserved the right to strike first at an enemy's WMD's,...

...how many camels would Israel leave standing upright when they demonstrate to the Syrians just what "Wrath of God" really means?

Syria is now in the same position that Israel knows--surrounded by enemies ready for a fight. But I doubt they'll do as well against either side...

 

[Hkmp5sd]

The Entire Arab/Muslim world?

What I mean is that the arabs, such as the newly freed Iraqis or moderate to pro-US arabs in other countries, would be of the opinion that the US is actually planning to take over the entire mid-east. I'm not talking about the radical muslims that already target the US for terrorism.

These people have been indoctrinated for decades. At the present time, they are still somewhat skeptical as to what the US intentions are but most are willing to give us a chance and see what happens. If we regroup and storm into another arab nation immediately after conquering Iraq, these people will believe the propaganda that we are either going to put puppet governments in to dominate them and steal their oil or wipe them out completely to protect Israel.

If the entire population of Iraq decides to turn on the US troops, we either pack up and go home or use force and stay in Iraq and kill large numbers of them to make them obey us or the government we install.

 

[Frohickey]

...

 

[WilderBill]

I don't think we will use military force in Syria.
Not that they don'yt richly deserve it.

They have supported terrorists for decades.
They are known to have chemical weapons that could be a threat to us in the hands of some of those terrorists.
They are harboring Baath party members from Iraq, many of whom qualify as war crimminals.
They are, in fact, ruled by a branch of the Baath party.
They have held Lebonon hostage for years...

If we did go in, it would take about a week to finish off all the militarty forces they have.

On the other hand, what if a well known, non Islamic neighbor were to pre emptively strike at their chemical weapons program hard enough to drive Assad out of power and leave the Iraqi "guests" hanin' out in the wind???

 

[NIGHTWATCH]

Bachelor & Alexander

If you guys ever get the chance, listen to the "Bachelor & Alexander show" on WABC talk radio. I know it airs weeknights at about 10PM eastern time but is broadcast nationaly. Their guests always consist of Ret. Generals and many in the intelligence community. Well worth your time, check it out.

 

[JimP]

I say we mass on the med and sweep east. What are we afraid of??? The poor misguided moose-limbs getting mad at us?? Screw them. Lets at least knock em back another 400 years while we can. If the country goes the way of Kali and Mass., we won't have the capability much longer.

 

[CMichael]

The President of Syria is pretty young. I think the Bush Administration is counting that he can be pushed to see the light.

 

[Frohickey]

The President of Syria is pretty young. I think the Bush Administration is counting that he can be pushed to see the light.

President makes it sound like the guy was elected.

The tyrant of Syria is pretty young. I think the Bush Administration is counting that he can be scared into seeing the light