The War on Terror /Central Asia/Mid East/Africa thread

[Strat]

I need to delete facebook. Fuck.

[nyquillyn]

track11, I find your point about Wahhabism to be a bit disingenuous. While there's no doubt the Saudis help fuel ISIS and other terrorist organizations. Iran and the other countries you suggested we all take a fun family holiday to have long histories of funding outside terrorist organizations and eliminating decesent within their own borders. While I know Iran isn't as bad as some (myself included) have portrayed it in the past (I swear FOX has used the same "Death to America!" clip for the past 10 years), they still harbor known terrorists and there's a sizable segment of the population that harbors ill will towards the U.S. and Western ideals. For you to suggest that these countries "love Americans" is BS.

Although I am willing to concede that pounding some royal palaces in Saudi Arabia into dust would do a lot more to curb terrorism than airstrikes in Syria or sanctions against Iran.

There is a BIG difference between supporting Hezbollah (Iran) and supporting ISIS and Al Qaeda (Saudis). Gigantic. I don't view Hezbollah as a threat to the USA homeland at all. In fact, I believe the US has taken Hezbollah off our terror threat list. Now, if we go and put troops and military barracks in Beirut, you better believe Hezbollah will go after them with a vengeance, because they know our true loyalty ain't with Lebanon. But they aren't sending suicide bombers to the US to indiscriminately kill civilians.

There are no ideal options. We just so happen to continually pick the absolute worst options!

But you have to see that it's a little disturbing that terrorism is seen as a reasonable response, whether in the U.S. or not.

Is attacking troops in a military base really terrorism?

Are you fucking serious?

[Strat]

track11, I find your point about Wahhabism to be a bit disingenuous. While there's no doubt the Saudis help fuel ISIS and other terrorist organizations. Iran and the other countries you suggested we all take a fun family holiday to have long histories of funding outside terrorist organizations and eliminating decesent within their own borders. While I know Iran isn't as bad as some (myself included) have portrayed it in the past (I swear FOX has used the same "Death to America!" clip for the past 10 years), they still harbor known terrorists and there's a sizable segment of the population that harbors ill will towards the U.S. and Western ideals. For you to suggest that these countries "love Americans" is BS.

Although I am willing to concede that pounding some royal palaces in Saudi Arabia into dust would do a lot more to curb terrorism than airstrikes in Syria or sanctions against Iran.

There is a BIG difference between supporting Hezbollah (Iran) and supporting ISIS and Al Qaeda (Saudis). Gigantic. I don't view Hezbollah as a threat to the USA homeland at all. In fact, I believe the US has taken Hezbollah off our terror threat list. Now, if we go and put troops and military barracks in Beirut, you better believe Hezbollah will go after them with a vengeance, because they know our true loyalty ain't with Lebanon. But they aren't sending suicide bombers to the US to indiscriminately kill civilians.

There are no ideal options. We just so happen to continually pick the absolute worst options!

But you have to see that it's a little disturbing that terrorism is seen as a reasonable response, whether in the U.S. or not.

Is attacking troops in a military base really terrorism?

Are you fucking serious?

??

[nyquillyn]

Hezbollah has a long history of suicide bombings at training camps, military installations and embassies. Do you really think these aren't terrorist acts?

[BurtReynolds]

Probably more guerilla warfare. Its foggy though.

[E.H. Ruddock]

If ISIL started regularly carrying out suicide bombings here in the us, I wonder how many of you tree hugging hippies would keep your same ideals when you couldn't go get your Starbucks without pissing your pants in fear?

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

[stip]

Hezbollah has a long history of suicide bombings at training camps, military installations and embassies. Do you really think these aren't terrorist acts?

I tend to think of them more as acts of war, though they're not committed by state actors.

[Strat]

If ISIL started regularly carrying out suicide bombings here in the us, I wonder how many of you tree hugging hippies would keep your same ideals when you couldn't go get your Starbucks without pissing your pants in fear?

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Hey man. Im the one that said we should just wipe the middle east off the map.

[stip]

If ISIL started regularly carrying out suicide bombings here in the us, I wonder how many of you tree hugging hippies would keep your same ideals when you couldn't go get your Starbucks without pissing your pants in fear?

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

I tend to think that a rash of terror attacks in the US would cause me to double down in my desire to see the US adopt tactics most likely to lead to a decrease in the likelihood of future attacks. My opposition/skepticism about western military intervention is not about pacifism-it's that I think it will make things worse.

Having said that, I'd like to think that a risk to my own life would lead to my being even more concerned about the lives of innocent people elsewhere

[nyquillyn]

I really hope stip's line of work doesn't see him in a position to influence young, impressionable minds.

[McParadigm]

Historically speaking, US military intervention has done an A+ job of reducing the threat of danger from the Middle East.

[stip]

If the United States bombed an Isis barracks would that be terrorism?

If not, what's the difference other than you liking one side more than the other? It is combatants attacking combatants, isn't it?

[McParadigm]

If the United States bombed an Isis barracks would that be terrorism?

I wouldn't give a shit that it is. I only give a shit that it doesn't work. It's a dumb solution because it's like removing a crack in the ice by stomping on it. The first 30 times, I guess you could say it was a learning process, but at this point it's just full retard.

[stip]

I really hope stip's line of work doesn't see him in a position to influence young, impressionable minds.

You can relax. they're young but of legal age.

[stip]

If the United States bombed an Isis barracks would that be terrorism?

I wouldn't give a shit that it is. I only give a shit that it doesn't work. It's a dumb solution because it's like removing a crack in the ice by stomping on it. The first 30 times, I guess you could say it was a learning process, but at this point it's just full retard.

That was directed at t2b. I'm in complete agreement with you

[stip]

Although what if the crack was an evil crack?

[stip]

If the United States bombed an Isis barracks would that be terrorism?

I wouldn't give a shit that it is. I only give a shit that it doesn't work. It's a dumb solution because it's like removing a crack in the ice by stomping on it. The first 30 times, I guess you could say it was a learning process, but at this point it's just full retard.

That was directed at t2b. I'm in complete agreement with you

Actually this is probably the only forum where we are not regularly at odds with each other

[McParadigm]

Although what if the crack was an evil crack?

Evil crack on a lake? Stomp away. Use both feet. Repeat as needed. Wave a flag if it helps.

[McParadigm]

Actually this is probably the only forum where we are not regularly at odds with each other

yup. although I appreciate what Backspacer tries to do, so we'll always have the fixer

[BurtReynolds]

kinda makes me wonder why they never go after leaders. If they could organize something like 9/11 or the Paris attacks, they could easily take down a head of state or a powerful businessman.

Maybe its all a false flag operation after all!