[ilgipper]

Agreed. We can’t blow it up and leave. We needed to keep a base of operation there. I do agree with the premise of no nation building, but we still need to provide the resources to keep the peace and give the new government a chance to survive. We see what happened now without any presence. We needed to win, ensure elections happened and then fade back to our bases into a support role a lot sooner. Go out and kill insurgents and train their forces to take over.

I always felt our biggest strategic mistake was to consider it a war and not a transition after Iraq was taken. We should have declared victory and then considered a rebuilding and transition period. I get why Bush did it. He wanted to keep people behind it and knew it would last awhile. What I am sure he didn’t expect was a protracted battle lasting beyond his term.

[SoConPubbie]

Agreed. We can’t blow it up and leave. We needed to keep a base of operation there.

For what reason? To make our servicemen targets for ISIL?

There is and never was a reason to stay. It always should have been just a shock and awe operation where we absolutely obliterated the enemy and left.

And if needed, as many times as needed, repeat until the enemy is pacified.

The motivation for any war with the adherents of Islam should be total destruction to impress upon them that anytime they attack, they will be destroyed.

There is no way to moderate their religion or the adherents.

The religion itself is the poison and it will not be reformed or fixed.