hey godzilla..long time.
i’m actually not sure about how much control Obama has over afghanistan, if the soldiers are there they are doing what they can but from what i’m reading daily, the taliban have turned it up quite a few notches. their biggest advantage is being on 6 different borders. they can hide easily. but in any case, victory doesn’t seem near.
with iran and israel, it’s a cointoss to me..who will strike first and strike hardest, strategically. i know israel has every weapon known to man but iran doesn’t exactly disclose all of their military info either yknow? but, they will come to a head.
to me i’m tired of this topic, my mind is worn down, i think half of us are half insane by now from following this issue, i really dont have much to say my opinions are out there, it’s chaos and right now it seems with the main terrorist group its waiting for the other shoe to drop.
i try to drink it all way...it works and cheerz. you guys are a really good group, to stick it out for this long takes longevity, with a topic that MOST are simply clueless about.
take care everyone...stay safe, keep on guard.
He has a considerable amount of control. Part of the Tali's resurgence is due to the highly restrictive rules of engagement he has put forth. Under Bush, greater latitude was given and the tali got their clocks cleaned by much smaller US forces. There is a thread here on FR where marines were denied air support because some civilians could be hurt. Also Afghanistan is a NATO operation. Pakistan's waffling didn't help over the past couple of years - it permitted reestablishment of tali bases to launch from deeper into Pakistan.
with iran and israel, it’s a cointoss to me..who will strike first and strike hardest, strategically. i know israel has every weapon known to man but iran doesn’t exactly disclose all of their military info either yknow? but, they will come to a head.
Iran, basic equipment wise, sucks. It has no airforce to speak of, its ground power is limited to an abundance of men willing to die. Their armor and infantry are poorly trained. Their navy is in better shape to cause some initial problems.
What Iran DOES have is an abundance of multi-range rockets that will prove difficult to shut down - as Gulf 1 showed. Note the OPEC states trying to get ABM/Patriot protection. Their potential strangle hold on the straits of Hormuz is a strong blackmail card.
If Iran was a little closer, Israel would have dealt with this a year or so ago. The issue is that the IAF has to be refueled to get to the targets and exposes them to detection. This increases the possibility that Israel may use nukes to go after this new site (and take out a military supply depot too), to supplement their air forces.
Bottom line is - if Israel strikes, the gulf will become a very contentious spot. Iran may 'unleash' its proxies - Hamas and Hezzbolah, to attack Israel, and I wouldn't be surprised if they launch ballistic missles against Israel too. Very easy for things to escalate.