I disagree, because they wont stem the flow of foreign fighters via the damascus network. Syria has training camps, we see them and know they are there. They are transporting thousands of algerians, saudis and other terrorist through Syria and WE are not doing shit about it.
Much of the Syria boarder is now the responsibility of the IA. That is the part that the Marines are not defending. There are a number of layers of defense on the Syria boarder, as you are probably awaire (it is in the public domain and not classified).
You are correct we are not attacking the Syrian camps, but I don't know if we are prepared to tackle a war with Syria right now, so border protection is the option that is open.
I wouldn't call that not doing anything....
How long since you've been over there. In the past few weeks, the Iraqi Sunni tribes have turned on AQ and the Desert Protectors (tribesmen) have been doing a pretty effective job in stopping the flow.
Terror camps in Syria sending terrorists into Iraq.
We may not be doing anything about it, but it sound as though the Iraquis/Sunnis finally are. See recent FR posts "Some Sunni Arabs Turning Against AlQaeda in Iraq" and "Sunni Insurgents 'Have Al-Zarqawi running for cover'."
I'm not going to get in a back and forth with you - But with all du respect your above comments are complete BS! - Those foreigners coming in from Syria have been reduced to hardly nill! - Furthermore there has never been that large (in numbers) of people from outside of Iraq that we are fighting.
The vast majority of people we've had a fight with have been Sunni Iraqi's and other dead-ender types (that are Iraqis). While yes, there has been a smaller sized and violent element that has come in from outside Iraq....but those numbers are vastly shrinking as well.
Iraq is not lost at all either - That is so far from reality I almost didn't bother replying. The reality is we are in a war (a world war in which the major fighting currently is taking place in Iraq)...but we are winning and doing so clearly.
The values of freedom and self-worth are spreading. This cannot be denied by anyone who is at least "willing" to be intellectually honest on the subject. These values are our biggest allies in this WOT.
Since Sept 11th, our enemies have suffered one strategic defeat after another...we have not suffered one.
As for the soldier in Stan right now who's comments this thread is regarding - He makes sense in a number of spots ....but he also has a serious martyr syndrome going on in which it is keeping him from intellectually understanding the world is bigger then himself and he needs to get off his cross. He does not speak for most in the military whatsoever. This I am certain of (of course there is always the hanging on the cross types...but they are not the majority).