Posted on 11/08/2006 9:58:53 AM PST by Perdogg
I think Gates needs to be given a chance.
More importantly, I think this nation has been at war 4 years in Iraq. That is as long as WWII. It's time to WIN this thing and wrap it up.
We need to:
1. Develop a winning strategy.
2. Execute it.
3. Wrap it up and move on.
Possibilities:
a. Assume a Cold War strategy of wearing down the Islamo-fascists.
b. Go on the offensive in a "take out the bad governments (Iran, Syria, Saudi, Sudan, Somalia)" strategy.
c. Partitioning of Iraq with border forces defending against and infiltrating of Iran.
d. Continuation of "condone, conquer, control" city by city.
e. others?
Most 6th year elections are referendums of a sort. Politics is a pendulum.
Frankly, we didn't get railed as hard as Eisenhower in '58 and Reagan in '86, or even Nixon in '74.
No, would have been nice if the hit was one Senator less though.
I'm speculating, but I think the policy changes are a done thing, drawn from the bi-partisan Iraq study group, and that Gates was pulled from the group to implement them. We'll know within the week.
That won't work because you cannot wear them down. Islamofacists are willing to sacrifice their own children in order to kill and maim other people's children. These people reproduce faster than we can wear them out.
b. Go on the offensive in a "take out the bad governments (Iran, Syria, Saudi, Sudan, Somalia)" strategy.
That would work, but America does not have the stomach for it. Indeed that is the plan that is necessary, but until we see buildings falling in our country on a monthly basis, I don't see us taking the offensive against any other countries. Besides, in order to do it, you need the express consent of congress, which won't happen under this new gang of fools.
c. Partitioning of Iraq with border forces defending against and infiltrating of Iran.
I think you are close there. Quite frankly we need to go back to ancient history and see how places like Baghdad were conquered by people like Alexander. I would suggest pulling all American troops out of the Sunni Triangle and laying siege to the area until the insurgents are tired of killing each other. When there is nothing left but women and children and old men, then I think you may see peace in that area.
d. Continuation of "condone, conquer, control" city by city.
We have not been able to do that in Baghdad and at this point Baghdad is the only really significant problem. Solve that and you've solved 90 % of the problem.
e. others?
The Dresden solution.
Prayers up for Dr. Gates!
I'm looking for a debate, not an argument. If that makes me a troll, so be it. I don't come to freerepublic that often because I'm a moderate, but I do like to hear what the right, and far right are saying. There are a lot of great ideas here, even if I disagree with some, and some great discussions of political tactics, which interests me.
I think the support of Rumsfeld when it was no longer politically expedient was a small part of this election result, and I wonder why so many people here support him so enthusiastically. It seems like most of those with military experience thought he didn't prosecute the war aggressively enough. The ones who do support him seem to just like the way he sounds in a press conference. I'd like the opinion of a military strategist or historian on his actual accomplishments.
BTW, you should welcome trolls here, there's not much point in trying to sharpen your knives on straw men.
God bless Rumsfeld. A Great American.
If that is true, then it did not become readily apparent to Bush overnight, did it? If Rumsfeld needed to go, then he needed to go for policy reasons months ago, not for political reasons today. That's all.
As are very probably the two stealth Supremes Bush had installed..
The replacement of Rumsfeld with Gates is significant, especially coming as it does over Cheney's objections. So is Bush's statement today in which he indicated that the administration will partner closely with the Baker Iraq study group in which Gates has been involved.
Reading the tea leaves, Bush seems to have lost faith in the neocons and Jim Baker's crew of realist conservatives is taking over. This will be confirmed if Gates purges the senior civilian staff at the Pentagon (like Cambone). Another way of looking at it is that the real power brokers from Wall Street and Big Oil have sent Baker's boys in to preserve our national interests in the Middle East. Bush may have been placed under heavy duress to make this move.
You may recall that Jim Baker has been on the outs with the neocons ever since he essentially told the Israelis to stuff it when he was Secretary of State. I can't say that I'm unhappy seeing him back in the mix.
Here youe have Donald Rumsfeld Quotes
You can count on the fact that Lieberman will be looking for their votes in 6 years again. He has to as an Independent. He won't be able to get reelection if a strong Pub comes up in a good year for the GOP unless he heads it off at the pass with a partial pro Pub stance on several issues. He's not a Dem anymore and you know the Dems are going to target his a*s big time to get him out and as the election results show, Lieberman can no longer depend on Democrats to get him elected. Those days are behind him now.
Bottom line, when he said he's going to be more independent than ever before today, he means it, because he has to to survive.
Just an observation
O.K., but I don't think he can really be directly blamed for Tenet's overstatement of WMD information specificity.
Overlord Pelosi says the Senate has to investigate him first....surely the first Borking of the new Defeatocrat reign.
A lot of the troops didn't like Rummy...including my son who came back from Iraq last week.
-Reading the tea leaves, Bush seems to have lost faith in the neocons and Jim Baker's crew of realist conservatives is taking over.-
This means if the $#!t starts to hit the fan with
endless Rat House investigations on Cheney / Halliburton etc., Cheney may well step down pre-emptively sometime in the next 2 years.
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