[Tom Jefferson]

Sullivan's belief is that the U.S. has a strategy in Iraq to let terrorists come and try to attack us so we can kill them there rather than waiting for them to come after us here.

[calchey]

I have believed from the beginning that this was the strategy. It only makes sense to have them come to you on your terms instead of theirs. I also believe that our troops are preparing for bigger battles there and will kill many many terrorists. Coming from a family that has had many military volunteers, it grieves me deeply to hear about even one death fighting these creatures. I just hope we have enough time to wipe out as many as possible and to change the mindset in that part of the world that you don't mess with the USA.

[Irish Eyes]

Bump

[jocon307]

This is a really good article, and therefore a GREAT post. Thank you.

I think all hell is about to break lose, in Israel, and we will see what happens then.

The next few years should be very interesting.

[okie01]

"Sullivan's belief is that the U.S. has a strategy in Iraq to let terrorists come and try to attack us so we can kill them there rather than waiting for them to come after us here."

Even before the war started, this strategic opportunity was evident.

It's a spider's strategy -- attract the prey into the web and kill them. Better there than here.

At the same time, the terrorists cannot afford to stay clear. They cannot afford to have a democratic and economically successful Iraq in their midst. They must come into the web...

I also suspect there is another reason for the international peacekeeping force, beyond freeing up American forces for hunting down and killing terrorists in Iraq.

There is still unfinished business elsewhere. And some of the combat units will be pulled out, rested, refitted, retrained...then sent to kill more of the enemy in another location.

Iran, anyone? Syria? The Phillipines?

Kill them all.

[tlb]

I had arrived at the same conclusion back at the time of the " Bring it on " statement. Thinking through the criticism the remark received I concluded it had to be deliberately provocative, daring them to fight just such a campaign.

[ArneFufkin]

Thank you for the way you presented this piece - with a summary statement in your first post. Outstanding.

[Think free or die]

Great strategery, and it fits right in with the President's comments on Sunday evening.

[SCHROLL]

Any one who didn't see this coming hasn't bothered to look at a map. Iran is basically boxed in now, their military would be destroyed from two fronts if they tried a move. Likewise with Syria. All they have left to fight us are the jihadists. Saudi Arabia you ask? All those wanting to start the fighting there were idiots. Sure they'll need to be dealt with in the end, but do you really want to start a war with what little troops you have in the area surrounded?
I for one would rather fight these guys in a terrain that is more to our advantage. The flatter land in Iraq is more condusive to fighting the war than the mountains in Afghanistan wouldn't you say?

[Hazzardgate]

FEED ME

[MattAMiller]

I'll have none of this nonsense that troops are being used as bait, they're being used as soldiers. But while I'm a fire-breating hawk I have some misgivings about makeing this a deliberate strategy. We can stack these low level loonies like cordwood and we won't be makeing a serious dent in the superstructure of global terror. Our goal in Iraq should be to begin yanking down the political slum that has bred and supported terror for decades. Our first step is to establish some sort of reasonably sane and reasonably safe Iraq. Drawing in Al Queada won't help.

If they decide to come of their own volition, then by all means I welcome the opportunity to kill them. This is what armies do no matter what simpering Democratic candidates say. But we ought to be doing what we can to keep them out.

[iranger]

Sullivan has found nothing new. The flytrap theory was discovered 2 years ago in Afghanistan. Iraq just upped the anty by bringing it closer to hom.

[Tom Jefferson]

Bump

[jordan8]

this is not Vietnam

Really? It's the same strategy used in Vietnam. It's called attrition, and it hasn't been notably successful. It's the same strategy Israel pursued in Lebanon before they were chased out. This is the stuff of fantasy.