McCain: Bring In the B-52s

NewsMax.com | 10-25-01 | Sen. John McCain

[Godfollow]

Congress' most prominent war hero, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., warned Friday that carpet-bombing raids by America's mightiest warplanes will be necessary to defeat Osama bin Laden and the Taliban government, adding that the U.S. can't worry about killing innocent civilians in the process.

"We must ... get on with the business of killing our enemies as quickly as we can and as ruthlessly as we must," McCain advised, in an op-ed piece in Friday's Wall Street Journal.

The Vietnam War hero suggested military planners have been too sparing in the amount of ordnance the U.S. has dropped on the Taliban thus far.

"We have not yet deployed B-2's and B-52's, the most destructive weapons in our airborne arsenal, against them," he noted. "We shouldn't fight this war in increments. ... They'll need to experience a more impressive display of American firepower before they contemplate surrender."

What about recent displays of public hand-wringing over the prospect of killing innocent Afghans as bin Laden's forces hide in civilian homes and even mosques?

"We cannot allow the Taliban safe refuge among the civilian population," McCain warned. "We must destroy them wherever they hide. That will surely increase the terrible danger facing noncombatants ... but it will also shorten the number of days they must suffer war's cruel reality."

The Taliban will take anything less than an all-out effort as a sign of weakness, the Arizona Republican said.

"Our enemies harbor doubts that America will use force with a firm determination to achieve our ends, that we will use all the force necessary to achieve unconditional victory. We need to persuade them otherwise immediately."

[Kryptonite]

The B2s have been flying since day 1. Within minutes of the first attack that information was available. However, while stealthy, they aren't particularly fast and there isn't anything remarkably distinguishing about their payloads. Of course, any old bird can drop a nuke.

[Jolly Rodgers]

He's a twerp but I wish he was President right now.

To each his own, but he's far too unstable to earn my trust.

[Blueflag]

Where I differ with you (and then only mildly) is that we cannot yet lash out, because we ar enot yet prepared to achieve our three goals -- our goals are three-fold (1) to ID and kill the perps of the attacks (2) to punish the nations states that support them so badly they will never do so again, and (3) 'eliminate' terrorism.

Obviously # 3 is the toughest.

If we were to lash out BEFORE knowing enough about the 'cells' and the factions etc etc, we run the risk of taking even worse hits before we are ready. Right now we are still pretty vulnerable to terrorism. I'm not interested in pi$$ing off the 'entire' (hyperbole) world just yet. Once we have the intle we need, the assets in place here and abroad, THEN I agree we should tunr all offenders into large and small pices of rubble and protoplasm. I really do not care who we 'offend' at that point.

Let's just not rush in. Prudence and preparation are not "Milquetoast".

[EdZep]

These people might shock the Talibunnies...

Socialists in Congress? Click on the zeppelin, Grasshopper.

[maranatha]

I don't think he is any better spokesman now than he has been in all of statements he has made siding with the democrats. Big John does not know the plan, you don't know the plan and all the press who is getting impatient for the big action doesn't know the plan. I trust Bush and the terrific team. They know how to fight and win a war. They have intelligence no one knows else is aware of. I rest assured they have it all planned out. I am listening to James Baker right now saying what Bush is doing is absolutely right.

You all are like children waiting for the action movie to start. Bush has done stunning things since 911, and now you believe he doesn't know what he is doing and it is to be believed that Here comes Johnny knows how. Get a grip everyone.

[dep]

that is where hitting iraq, which we shall of course have to do anyway, was important. there is no doubt, no doubt at all, that we are entitled to do it; there is no doubt at all that they sponsor terrorism, and there has been overwhelming evidence for years that they sponsor bin laden. having done that, goal #3 becomes much easier, because it comes to be in the extreme interest of other nations in the region to crack down on terrorism there, lest the same fate befall them. i can absolutely guarantee you that they will never like us, but we certainly can make them fear us, and in this case that suits our needs better anyway.

dep

[freeasinbeer]

Read the article. He states the 'We have not used B2's on the front-lines'.

His whole point is that we have not used are big guns on the FRONT LINES.

[Ole Okie]

What's heroic about being shot down and imprisoned?

Well, nothing is particularly heroic about being shot down and held prisoner.

But when you get to come home and get your PR machine in operation, WOW!!

But I think the Senator has the right idea here.

[MississippiMan]

Been a long time since I said McCain was absolutely 100% correct on anything, but he is on this. It's war and it needs to be treated as such. The Taliban have now obviously moved heavily into civilian cover, with full knowledge that we're so ridiculously PC and soft that we'll be hesitant to go after them there. As I've already said several times, mark my words: a huge number of totally innocent American civilians will be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness before this is all said and done.

MM

[Blueflag]

Same comment applies though. We DO NOT need B-52s to rototill the earth. There are better psy-ops weapons, and right now, a bunch of 500 pounders in a modern day arc-light would not win the battle or the war. Does make a great racket, however.

The Taliban do not have massed forces. Carpet bombing is good for massed forces and stationary, aggregated assets. Other weapons systems are better for disparate, high-value targets. That is why we like directed and guided munitions for Afghanistan. Bring on the various GBUs, Hellfires, JDAMS and xCLMs. We even have specialized steerable artillery shells, when the time comes.

[A. Pole]

WHY do you want him to be president?

McCain is FEROCIOUS ! That is why. He was even attacking the people working for his presidential election. Send him to Kabul, Taleban will disperse in fear like his campaign supporters.

[VMI70]

Source: NewsMax.com

Congress' most prominent war hero, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., ...

The Vietnam War hero suggested...

Why do the media continue to confer "war hero" status on McCain? I just don't understand it. He deserves respect for service, but from what I have read, the jury is still out on his behavior as a POW.

FReegards,

[leftcoaster]

I dunno, maybe McCain is just getting antsy while seeing time running out on his prediction (on Sunday's MtP) that for Halloween this year, OBL was going to be dead.

[Blueflag]

Not that there's a paper trail on FR, but many days ago I and many others picked Iraq as "next", and justifiably so. I really don;t care if they don't like us either. Afterall, they couldn't like us less right now. Once WE are ready, then we take care of business with an iron fist.

Thanks for the discourse.

[Blueflag]

I infer a < / sarcasm> tag in your post ...

[A. Pole]

He deserves respect for service, but from what I have read, the jury is still out on his behavior as a POW.

That is not fair, he was an exemplary POW, even Vietnamese say so.

[maranatha]

Re all of your posts...you are a wise man or woman.

[kingh99]

I'll give the techies one winter to do their job. I figure once they flatten the 5 "big" cities they can go about their winter "thermal" air war.

[VOA]

The Taliban will take anything less than an all-out effort as a sign of weakness...

One thing that too many Americans just can't understand...