Posted on 06/19/2006 5:40:20 AM PDT by areafiftyone
God protect and bless our troops.
A gut feeling that they weren't taken alive. I hate to say that and I am still praying for them, but these bastards are just plain evil and their biggest trophy would be to kill soldiers and then show us the body. I am hoping my gut feeling is absolutely wrong!
Praying for our soldiers to be found, safe and sound.
Lord, hear our prayer.
And there is deafening silence on it.
Let's trade their guys for our guys... we get the soldiers, they get Kerry and Murtha.
I would do that in a NY minute!
Gladly!
A sad bump to an excellent post.
True. I think one person who replied to me said there were more and when the first attack came gave chase which left 3 behind. And as another poster after that said somebody needs to re-think some procedures. Urban warfare is almost impossible especially fighting unrecognizable enemies until fired upon. IMO everyone then should be assumed as being such till proven otherwise.
Fighting several factions in a place like Iraq may require abandonment of what for all practical purposes has now become a nation building project and go back to a more conventional means. Take out the nations infrastructure, set them back technology and commodity wise to 1950 by destroying roads, bridges, utilities, communications, etc and declare it a win.
I do have serious reservations about us ever winning over a majority of Iraq much less ever bringing peace to that region. Over 3500 years of history says it's not possible. An unclear military objective with U.N. writs as reasons for war has caused problems both in even deciding what is the military objective is and a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. I don't think our congressional leaders on both sides have a true concept of war {pre Korea strategy} and are trying to fight it in a P.C. manner which can't be done. But that's just my thinking.
Did it occur to anybody that these two very unlucky and hapless us soldiers that were captured by Al Qaeda could be the subject of a very gruesome video of them getting horribly tortured and when the terrorists get sick of them and their pathetic screaming they will get their heads whacked off just like nick Berg with a rambo knife ?
8000 soldiers looking for just two missing men ?
The Marine Corps Used to teach hand to hand combat in boot camp as if the differance between being a prisoner of war or staying alive it would mean they would have to attack their enemies with a empty m - 16 with a 9" rambo knife attached to it and they would have to stick those diaperheaded scumbags repeatly in the liver until they would get blood all over themselves.
Just a thought...............
the locals in the immediate vicinity of the incident know perfectly well WHO sucker-punched and captured them.....they know their faces, names, where they had been holed up to plan this, and they also know much more.....
Were I in command, I'd be putting every bit of squeeze I could on everyone within a radius of 1/2 a mile or so of the last-known location, starting with a total cordoning off......then every means to make them all as miserable as possible until a few of them talk.......the only way this occurred at all is with the blessing/and looking the other way of the locals.
Geneva seems to be a set of rules written to tie American soldiers hands for other nations. We should withdrawal. I know there are moral arguments for it but no Biblical scripture supports it.
Somewhere immediately after WW2 this nation lost sight of what war means. It's moral requirements to those asked in the name of a nation to serve it's people and the requirements for clear and precise military objectives.
No war can be civilized. Our own war of brother against brother was the bloodiest this nation has known. I'm not a saber rattler nor am I anti-war. War has to be understood as having no innocents in the enemies nation. It can not be fought any other way. Historically and Biblically it is a judgment upon a nation and many have forgotten that. You can't fight a nation and reward it at the same time.
Two men come to mind Joshua and King David. The battles Joshua led were to the death in many cases wars. No one of the enemy lived not even beast in some cases. King David on the other hand had his own son turn against him and his men loyal to him re-took his kingdom back from his son and in doing so killed him or their actions resulted in his death. King David {many of our elected} refused to honor his own troops and said woe is me and mourned his sons death instead.
I saw something when I was in the Navy that was hard to stomach. I was in Salvador Brazil in the late 1970's on port of call. Salvador is home to street orphans. These are children abandoned by family and in many cases by age 8 are hardened criminals. Your heart says help them. Common sense says one wrong move and they will either mame you for life or kill you. As much as you want to do something there is nothing you can do. Their own people did this to them. I have to look at Iraq in the same manner.
Our military goal in Iraq must be clearly stated & resolved and completed and the humanitarian effort abandoned. The two objectives can not co-exist in a war. At least not having troops trying to do both jobs. A solders job is not humanitarian in nature. Their job is to kill the enemy. Asking them to then feed them or provide aid and confort to in any degree those who that night may well be the ones shooting at them IMO is immoral to ask of them. We should be there to win a war and not to win hearts and minds. The two goals can not be reconciled in the same act.
Good post.
It is unfortunate in this case that there was a small group of soldiers with "quick reaction" forces 15 minutes away.
Because Al Qaeda can blend with civilians and probably get good intel from civilians, any sort of opening they will take advantage of.
There is a need to run "War Game" scenarios here in the United States on possible things that Al Qaeda might do.
And, unfortunately, Al Queda seems to be able to get very good information - probably even from loyal Iraqis - without the "good" Iraqis knowing they are deceived. (Or even taking relatives as prisoners and forcing Iraqis in positions of authority to give them information.)
In short, our military needs to be even more protective of our troops.
Two or three members of a Delta force unit might be able to act alone, but not normal military.
The lesson in Afghanistan of the 6 member Seal Team should be something our military should be very conscious of.
Even a 6 member Seal Team was very vulnerable in an operation in Afghanistan.
So small unit operations need to be scuttled or carefully observed (using UAV's to monitor such small unit operations).
Let's be generous. Let's give them Durbin, Leahy, Schumer, Feingold, and all of the Kennedys, too. And as a special bonus, our secret weapon, Miss Hillary. After five minutes' exposure to her, the Islamofascists would all kill themselves.
Levity aside, I'm praying for those brave soldiers. Be merciful, Heavenly Father, and let them return alive.
agree 110%
good post and I agree with your above statement wholeheartedly....
I have caught flack for what i am going to say but here goes again.....
A nations people are responsible for their goverment. The Iraqi's ALLOWED sadam to rule. They lived in fear of his brutal tactics true.....but they are responsible for not having enough back bone to stand up to him. How long would America's "southern boys" go along under that type of regime before rising up. How many American males would stand by and watch as their daughters were drug off for the Kings pleasure.
History is full of rebellions against dictators as well as full of peoples who stuck their head in the sand as their people were brutalized. The arabs are particularly bad about following whomever is the most brutal. Go along to get along. Look at this conflict.....when we came in they were all cheers and hugs for us.....as soon as the insurgency/terrorists got going they stuck their heads in the sand.....waiting to see who comes out on top.
A citizenry that stands aside for a leader such as sadam, has no character and is part of the problem and are not innocent.
We are not or should not be the U.N's armed force. Take out terrorist supporting leaders by all means and any means needed? Yes with prejudice.
Jerry Ford made a critical mistake and started state supported terrorist in the Middle East by eliminating the fear of loss of life of thug dictators we all knew in the late 70's early 80's. Do covert military ran ops to take out the rest. In the mean time put Iraq back to 1950 so maybe the people of other nations will take matters into their own hands not wishing a similar fate if their leaders go against us in an act of war. Namely Yemen!!!!!
It is the greatest crime against Geneva and Hague that is taking place in Iraq....in ANY war in which an America has EVER fought.
You absolutely correct. Bump and ping.
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