This Iraq thing... What's your take??

[Ironbarr]

First - understand that I feel strongly that an enemy, passive or active, must be - at the least - neutralized... peacefully if possible, forcefully when necessary.

News, if you would believe it, suggests that folks are backing off on their full support for action. I'm not sure about that. But I can see viable questions, without thus far, answers. In fact I have some questions too:

In destroying an enemy's economy whether with bombs or counterfeit money, or by inciting workplace slowdown or stoppages through strikes or riots, or running an intimidation regimen against the populace, the result is the same - troops in the field wither, weaken and ultimately concede defeat. The sense of this statement, IMO, is that a strong offense requires a strong, supporting, economy.

My question: Will our economy support a long campaign and... in-country management?

If Saddam dies, how will we know? (Afterall, we've had no confirmation of BinLaden's situation - dead, hurting, alive and well?) If Saddam leaves for others places, how do we know he won't create hate and discontent - or even (legally or not) re-assume power?

I guess the real question re Iraq (and other impending hot spots) is this - do we have ALL bases covered? For instance:

1. With at least six lookalikes, do we have Saddam's DNA on file
for eventual ID? Why not? Someone must know his barber, manicurist, or cigar butt collector.

2. If you bomb NBC (pick your weapon) lab/mfr/storage or
whatever, how do you control or plan for the fall-out? I mean,
while the flyboys are collecting DFCs for great work, how about
the poor pukes below wondering why, in a hundred miles in any
direction, the air is a bit swarmy...

3. What contingencies exist for an Iraq that captures and holds a
hundred or more "UN Inspectors" as an incentive for us not to
attack? Do we really expect a truly bad Saddam type to let those guys out of Iraq, knowing the bombs cometh as soon as they are clear?

4. If there really is a neutron bomb that will preserve the real
estate while evaporating the populace, why then do we continue
old techniques of talking with bad guys while slicking the
physical infrastructure. I know our construction industry is
aways looking at land opportunities for new projects (it's what
they do), but why level these places if we can do it easier and cheaper, while still off-loading the bad guys without the mess?

And a bit of Homeland security:

5. Since automatic collection of DNA is so popular these days
with states and their legal systems, why isn't it popular to ID
all aliens entering (and leaving) the USA? Just think of all the
bells and whistles generated by THAT kind of data base.

These, my friends, are some thoughts I ponder. I'd like to believe ALL the bases are covered.

What do you think?

-Andy

 

[M1911]

Are all bases covered? Nope, can't be. That's the nature of war.

Will he try a Bin Laden? I'd be surprised if he could do that effectively for very long. Bin Laden is a Salafist -- he prides himself on the hair-shirt thing. Hussein is physically soft, used to ruling a rich country, living the good life. I don't think Saddam would do well living on the run, traveling on foot or donkey. And many, many Iraqis would gladly turn in Saddam.

It certainly will take a while to track down Saddam -- Iraq is as large as France, after all. He might slip into Syria or Iran. But I think he'd have a hard time living underground like Bin Laden.

M1911

 

[Waitone]

That's why they call it "The Fog of War."

Lemme add a few other factors to consider.
--Sadaam decides to hit us first rather than second.
--Sadaam decides to do in Israel with whatever he has available be it a big bang or a little pfffffst.
--Israel decides to end the problem one and for all.
--Ricin release in London
--Small pox in France
--VX release in Germany
--All the above in the US
--Mall bombings in the US
--The badguys hijack a fedex jet and fly it into the the Whitehouse or capitol building (it took two swings at the WTC to knock them down)
--North Korea decides to make use of their military while the US is distracted.
--Communist Chinese decide now is the time to persuade Taiwan to reunite with the motherland.
--Communist chinese decide to choke off the Panama Canal
--Bad guys quite thinking like arabs and begin thinking like Americans. So instead of hitting targets symbolic to Arabs, they hit targets symbolic to Americans

Our upcoming action against Iraq will go a long way in demonstrating the nature of the threat we face. I hope we have the intestinal fortitude to see it through because it will be memorable.

 

[Selfdfenz]

All the bases is a lot of bases.

The US has never fought a war where all the bases were covered. We were involved in one very big one were even our own you-know-whats weren't too well covered at the beginning let alone all the bases.

All great questions.

We probably know were some of Saddam's WsMD are and those targets will be "handled". We may stumble on others and get a surprise or two but that will not stop the music.

Even if he has 50 look-alikes it won't make much difference and 47 of those guys will be heading for the hills when the shooting begins.

I don't think we want to kill any more civilians in Iraq than necessary. More like liberate them. Hence no neutron bombs.
If OTOH Saddam does something really ignorant on the way down he will get the hot version of the bomb set on "full blow". And it could have the Star of David on it!

I may be wrong but I think and hope it will be a quick operation and one that the US has few casualties from. Saddam will be dead or on trial as a war criminal at the end of the show. Osama will be dead one of these days if he is not already.

Last week I heard there are about 3000 individuals from Iraq that entered the US that the INS cannot find. We still have open borders and that is one uncovered base that drives some of us nuts.

As far as DNA databases/biometric ID cards for all foreign nationals all I can say is the proposal has been made to the peps that have the juice to make the decision. No signs of life so far. W will not support it me things because of his weird love affair for illegals from old Mexico. We'll see.

S-

 

[wQuay]

News, if you would believe it, suggests that folks are backing off on their full support for action. I'm not sure about that. But I can see viable questions, without thus far, answers. In fact I have some questions too:

Forget what the news says. What do the people you know and talk to think? I have yet to meet a single person who ever fully supported military action.