The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Exactly. Conflicts like this should follow the Bosnia playbook. If you have reliable allies on the ground, bomb the enemy with superior air power while the faction you're supporting slowly takes advantage and eventually defeats their advisary. ISIS is doomed to be blown to bits whenever they're in a convoy or firing artillery or any heavy equipment. Without that advantage, hell, maybe even the idiot Iraqi army can defeat them - that elite fighting force conservatives had been telling us about.

When ISIS took the American weapons caches in Mosul I'll bet they picked up a ton of equipment that will happily signal "Mommy! Here I am!" to any American aircraft flying overhead. Abdul's new Abrams tank is not his friend.

[Old Pio]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

I don't suppose the host or hosts asked a question like "haven't you people been wrong on just about every Iraq assumption you've made over the past 12 years" or is that too "biased" a question? So far its been only Megan Kelly on Fox of all places who called out Dick head Cheney to his face.

Oh, I shouldn't forget to give a shout out to that panelist on one of the boring Sunday shows who told Bill Kristol to his face that if he was so into sending US troops to Iraq why didn't he join the Iraqi Army himself! That's a good question to pose to Pio and Fishy amongst others out here...

Most 12 year olds would be embarrassed to make that argument, but then you're not like most 12 year olds.

[joecct]

When ISIS took the American weapons caches in Mosul I'll bet they picked up a ton of equipment that will happily signal "Mommy! Here I am!" to any American aircraft flying overhead. Abdul's new Abrams tank is not his friend.

Dunno.

What distinguishes one tank from another in the eyes of a drone? Both look alike though I think our tanks would be cleaner.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Dunno.

What distinguishes one tank from another in the eyes of a drone? Both look alike though I think our tanks would be cleaner.

RFID or something more sophisticated. I'm guessing pretty much all high dollar American equipment can transmit in response to some activation signal broadcast by American units. It's used tactically for distinguishing friend or foe, or even just for boring O&M tasks like sending out sensor data ("my treads are old" or "my oil filter is reaching end of life"). The equipment we left behind was cataloged by location, so when ISIS overran the location we went down the checklist and said, "M1A 123456789 is now compromised." Now Droney the drone is out doing recon above ISIS positions and gets the signal from M1A 123456789 that my wiper fluid is low and here's the exact lat-lon where I am. A message goes back to the remote pilot in Provo and 30 seconds later the tank and the fifty guys nearest it are vaporized.

[LynahFan]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

RFID or something more sophisticated. I'm guessing pretty much all high dollar American equipment can transmit in response to some activation signal broadcast by American units. It's used tactically for distinguishing friend or foe, or even just for boring O&M tasks like sending out sensor data ("my treads are old" or "my oil filter is reaching end of life"). The equipment we left behind was cataloged by location, so when ISIS overran the location we went down the checklist and said, "M1A 123456789 is now compromised." Now Droney the drone is out doing recon above ISIS positions and gets the signal from M1A 123456789 that my wiper fluid is low and here's the exact lat-lon where I am. A message goes back to the remote pilot in Provo and 30 seconds later the tank and the fifty guys nearest it are vaporized.

Pretty much. The exact workings of the IFF hardware is classified, of course, and I've never had a need to know anything about it, but it's definitely included on any US piece of hardware worth more than a few hundred K.

[Rover]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Most 12 year olds would be embarrassed to make that argument, but then you're not like most 12 year olds.

Since you kicked so much @ ss in Vietnam, you might be just the man to whip the Iraqi army into shape. Or at the very least they'll gladly throw themselves at ISIS fighters instead of running away from them just to get away from your boring drivel about the 1980's....

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Nice.

[FreshFish]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

according to Iraqi state tv, Maliki finally agreed to step down.

In retrospect, what George Washington did by stepping aside after two terms as president was truly extraordinary, especially for the times. so many people get so comfortable once in a leadership position that they can never imagine not being there. that must be one of the hardest things for a society used to autocratic rule to adjust to when they transition to democracy.

[FreshFish]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Now here is something that will make ISIS leaders' heads explode:

Hundreds of mothers, sisters and daughters have taken up arms and devoted their lives to protecting Iraq’s Kurdish population against the threat of the Islamic State.

Known as the women peshmerga of the 2nd Battalion, the group is made up of 550 female fighters led by Col. Nahida Ahmad Rashid, Barcroft reports.

The soldiers have not yet faced the Islamic State since the terrorists seized control of towns in Kurdistan, but the group has carried out in-depth exercises in the scorching heat of Sulaymaniyah to prepare themselves for battle.

“It’s an honor to be part of a modern Muslim country that allows women to defend the homeland,” said an unidentified mother who has been a soldier since the battalion’s creation in 1996.

“We enjoy the same treatment as male fighters do as required by law.”

To the extent that we also want to win a victory of "hearts and minds" the single best thing we can do worldwide is to speak out forcefully and repeatedly in favor of women's rights.

[St. Clown]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

according to Iraqi state tv, Maliki finally agreed to step down.

In retrospect, what George Washington did by stepping aside after two terms as president was truly extraordinary, especially for the times. so many people get so comfortable once in a leadership position that they can never imagine not being there. that must be one of the hardest things for a society used to autocratic rule to adjust to when they transition to democracy.

I don't believe Washington cherished the role at all after having attained it. Yes, he positioned himself neatly for it throughout his time in the Continental Congress, his role in the war, and later during the Constitutional Convention, but I think he found it wearisome, based upon the few accounts I've been able to read over the years. Add to that, he knew it would be seen as his final great political act to reaffirm his and America's stance against having a monarchy.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

To the extent that we also want to win a victory of "hearts and minds" the single best thing we can do worldwide is to speak out forcefully and repeatedly in favor of women's rights.

Well, there goes the South.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

I don't believe Washington cherished the role at all after having attained it. Yes, he positioned himself neatly for it throughout his time in the Continental Congress, his role in the war, and later during the Constitutional Convention, but I think he found it wearisome, based upon the few accounts I've been able to read over the years. Add to that, he knew it would be seen as his final great political act to reaffirm his and America's stance against having a monarchy.

Before Washington's presidency there was already an idea of him as Cincinnatus, and this greatly flattered him (George had the usual set of human character quirks, and one of them was vanity). In your reading have you come across whether he ever seriously considered staying on? My knowledge stops at the assertion that "there were many people" at the time who "urged him" to become the permanent head of state, but I have no idea whether Washington himself even considered this. My impression is he found governing exhausting and somewhat debasing and couldn't wait to split.

[St. Clown]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Before Washington's presidency there was already an idea of him as Cincinnatus, and this greatly flattered him (George had the usual set of human character quirks, and one of them was vanity). In your reading have you come across whether he ever seriously considered staying on? My knowledge stops at the assertion that "there were many people" at the time who "urged him" to become the permanent head of state, but I have no idea whether Washington himself even considered this. My impression is he found governing exhausting and somewhat debasing and couldn't wait to split.

The little I've read - really only a couple books that have broached the subject so I'm no expert - is that he was offered a crown, but that he flatly refused it up front. He wanted to stay away from a monarchy, and I think this was in no small part for consideration of his historical legacy as much as establishing a government by the people, etc., and then later, like you said, he found governing very tiring. That much was even touched on in the John Adams biography by David McCollough, Adams being warned how much he'll loathe the office when his time there has ended.

[Kepler]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Has anybody ever liked being president? Clinton maybe, for the power. Reagan maybe since he just treated it as a vacation anyway. FDR must have liked it to stay on. Harding must have liked it because, hey, if I spent my time balls deep in hookers and whiskey I'd be fond of the time spent myself.

[St. Clown]

Re: The Global War on Terror 5.0: Putin on the Risk

Has anybody ever liked being president? Clinton maybe, for the power. Reagan maybe since he just treated it as a vacation anyway. FDR must have liked it to stay on. Harding must have liked it because, hey, if I spent my time balls deep in hookers and whiskey I'd be fond of the time spent myself.

Cleveland did, otherwise why have yourself counted twice on the list? I get the impression that Kennedy did, too, though that might just have been his personality to appear so chipper when not addressing the Soviets or the racist South.