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So it is reported that there have been several sightings of Iranian forces within the Iraqi boarders. So far there is no word on whether any forces have engaged each other but I would imagine not as I am sure the Commie News Network (CNN) would be all over it already. If this continues I forsee many more issues and this could get bad. What is your take.
My take is the US does not have a "good" contingency plan and things got bad a long time ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by hiss srq
There is a broadly accepted, for now, school of thought that there is a not a "military solution" for Iraq - and by extension, for the region, although a violent time of reckoning (for all parties) may be drawing closer since a "political solution" does not seem obtainable either.
Wonder what will happen to oil prices and the world economy if that happens.
[quote=Tom_Turner]My take is the US does not have a "good" contingency plan and things got bad a long time ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by "hiss srq":7ebd6
There is a broadly accepted, for now, school of thought that there is a not a "military solution" for Iraq - and by extension, for the region, although a violent time of reckoning (for all parties) may be drawing closer since a "political solution" does not seem obtainable either.
Wonder what will happen to oil prices and the world economy if that happens.[/quote:7ebd6]
I have to agree with you Tom, it seems a broader conflict in the Mid East is just around the corner. Iran doesn't seem willing to compromise on the nuclear issue, Lebanon is strife with conflict, and the Palestinians are waging ware against themselves now. I do see Israel being the spark that ignites the war though. They won't sit back and allow under any conditions Iran to become nuclear, which given Israelis past I can't say I blame them.
It will be interesting to see where the lines form and who's on whose side. My first thoughts would be that Syria and Iran would be allied with Syria quickly overtaking Lebanon which would be a central front along with the Iran attempting to sweep into Iraq. I don't see Egypt and Libya getting involved besides spouting rhetoric. The scary thing is I fiercely believe attacks on our land would take place via real organized terror groups, not the kind of clowns that were planning Ft. Dix and the JFK plot but cells already here just waiting for the right time.
This was pretty much inevitable when we diverted forces from Afghanistan to fight in Iraq. Just look at the taliban situation in Afghanistan now, it's almost as bad as it was before we entered.Quote:
Originally Posted by T-Bird76
Everyone knows me here to be an extremely conservative GOP voteing paitriotic person but unfortuneately I think that we really really are now in trouble because as someone stated the enevatible war is here on the grander scale and I do not think we can take it. Either that or a massive immediate draft for this world war is needed. I think it is at this point just about world war personally.
The fact of the matter is that the Middle East has a unique political dynamic where the Neo-Conservatives' wish to have blanket democratization/clensing in the region is not practical or possible. I was very pro Iraq invasion back in 2003, but the botching of the post war situation clearly shows the neo-conservative solution is not practical and de-stabilizing. Sadaam Hussein and his regime were a bunch of animals, but as many of my associates in the energy industry lament, he at least kept the shiites and the rest of the islamic extremists at bay. Despite all the rhetoric the Baathist regime of Saddam was more socialist than reglious in nature and drew the ire of Bin Laden and AL Qaida. Like countless other dictators in the past, he would have been left alone had he not made the wrong choices, abused his position and felt he could get away with anything. He made that worst mistake of his reign by invading Kuwait in 1990 which made him a pariah. The United States should have concentrated more on Afghanistan, resolved the Israeli-Palestinian question, stabilize the region while isolating Iran (which was the main problem in that region all along, not Iraq) and enagaging in cold war style campaign to engage in regime change there. If I had to make a choice on who Id go to war with, it would have been Iran, not Iraq. Unfortunately now, we are going to have to deal with Iran anyway, we have a destabilzed Iraq, Hamas controlling Gaza, Lebanon's western leaning governement in dire need of American support and Syria isolated. Despite Syria's issues, I would rather have whats there now (and that goes for most of the middle eastern nations) then Iraqi style chaos or a fundamentalist Iran style regime. With enough enticement, Libya turned a page and re-entered the international community. With the same enticement and incentive, the current regime in Syria can do the same and be a working partner int he region.