Posted on 09/25/2006 7:52:55 PM PDT by Perdogg
There is nothing wrong with going in with tons of heavy armor.
As long as you have forces to police the country after the fall of the regime.
That was were we really failed. Bremer disbanded the Army and police and US troops didn't immediately take over policing the country. We didn't have the number of troops nor a set plan to police the country and secure the borders.
And, without security gangs and militias form and jihadists and Iranians stream in.
How many tank and artillery divisions do they need in Iraq?
Arent all soldiers supposed to be 11B's first?
We are severely limited in regard to Ahmadinejad because he knows that in terms of ground force, we are about tapped out. That deeply injures our negotiating position, and makes war more, not less, likely. Teddy Roosevelt said "Walk softly and carry a big stick" --it's still good advice. While I understand that in many situations the new technology is a tremendous force multiplier, the enemy is smart enough and assymetrical enough to shape the battlefield to the advantage of the low-techers.
The Army can't even pay it's bills now. WTF? Not to mention that there is a severe manpower and material shortage.
Do you remember Viet Nam? or have you read about it?
That is just one of the reasons. The other is that, with a draft, they would be better able to marshal mass protests against the war.
They remember only too well how "popular" the anti-war movement was in Viet Nam -- until Nixon ended the draft. And, then, people stopped showing up for the riots...
The Democrats want a draft because, not because one is needed, but because it would give them some political leverage.
We just saw their Army take 3 weeks to penetrate 3 miles. In June I was on the road near Ashkelon in Israel, a few miles north of Gaza. An Army truck was beside the road with a flat. 3 very young troops (they looked like 17-year-olds) were sitting there not knowing what to do. It was a frightening experience for me, to wonder for the first time in my life about the competence of the Israeli military. Ten days later, the Hezbo War began, and I am wondering even more about whether Israel has gone soft.
After the President was re-elected there was a window to really increase the size of the Army and send enough troops to secure Baghdad and Western Iraq.
Sitting on a problem and letting it fester hoping it goes away will always bite you in the behind.
Just ask our troops getting shot at by the Madhi Army every day.
Thank you. and not the Clintoons.
Chris is a good man. He meant no threat... that is just his age old sign off tag.
LLS
"The Army can't even pay it's bills now. WTF? Not to mention that there is a severe manpower and material shortage."
Reality? We don't have enough bucks to pay for current operations, much less anything else. Even if you cut other existing non-military programs, we need to rescind the tax cuts. You can't fight a war and build the military while cutting taxes. Just doesn't work. Period.
Let me say this. I employee numerous young men that are in their twenties. They don't know how to work or even work on their own. A draft where they would learn discipline, be made to show up on time and on consequitive(sp) days would make them better people.
I question the all-volunteer military because, is it right or moral for a few to defend the freedom and rights of the many. But it is as the retired General said, there are 'sheep', 'sheepdogs' and 'wolves' in the human population.
So, I guess it is best to leave the 'sheep' to graze.
Oh, yeah, no problem. I was clued in earlier. I wasn't sure if it was a sig or not. That's why I asked.
Which is exactly why it needs to be done now, not at some future point when we desperately need them but have nobody in the pipeline.
Blame carter...without him there would be no imanutjob.
LLS
Exactly...pretty dark hearted of them if you ask me.
I do blame Carter for radical Shia Islam's revival. But, that said we still passed up a dozen chances to kill Sadr.
You're correct there. But undoing the damage of 12 years is not easy, especially smack dab in the middle of a war neither Rumsfield nor Bush asked for. Foot dragging is definitely not called for, I agree. There are some positive signs though; recruitment accross the board has been up every year since 9/11 (shhhh, don't tell the libs that).
Thanks
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