“First of all, we aren’t fighting Al Qaeda - we are at war with islam. “
No, we are at war with al Qaeda and we’re not at war with Islam. As much as al Qaeda and the left attempt to propagate this lie, that America is waging war on Islam, this lie is undermined by the fact that we are allied with other Muslims against al Qaeda.
“They have taken some hits but they are still growing in numbers. “
Last I heard, 3/4ths of their leadership was either dead or captured.
“Do you understand what I’m talking about when I suggest Iraq is, on a strategic scale, only a fortification? “
A democratic Iraq undermines the recruitment propaganda that America is waging war on Islam.
You need to read the koran. You need to understand what is happening around the world. This is so much bigger than Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is nothing. Start googling on Africa and islam or Asia and islam.
Recruitment propaganda is not needed. That is a specious concern.
This is so not about one group within islam.
Seriously, you need to read the koran.
Rule one when fighting insurgents - he who controls the hearts and minds of the population wins. Strong points surrounded by a hostile population base are not effective. They are doomed to failure.
Study Malay (the British campaign), Vietnam, and the Soviet/ Afghan war.
I haven't seen an affordable or realistic proposal yet to turn the hearts and minds of what is now a large percentage of the world's population.
The only solution I see was posted earlier by someone else. Bomb their military to dust. If needed, bomb their infrastructure to dust. Again, if needed vaporize their population centers.
I don't see islam backing off this time unless we kill 100 million muslims.
I don't see the west doing any of this. It seems rather inconceivable but I see us headed into a second dark age.
It's a lovely world.
So we stabilize Iraq. Please tell me how that is going to make the slightest bit of difference in what is a global problem?