[Dog Gone]

That's something that has to be done, and the conventional military will have a large role to play in that. But even if we replaced those states with friendly regimes, it won't be enough. Terrorist cells can operate in friendly countries, and not all their support comes from state sponsors. They have been quite effective in using "charities" to obtain money.

Al-Qaida operates in 60 countries, we're told. In about 55 of them, using the CIA would be the preferred plan of attack.

[Prodigal Son]

Al-Qaida operates in 60 countries, we're told. In about 55 of them, using the CIA would be the preferred plan of attack.

Yeah I know, I know. Call me old fashioned or just biased cause I was a soldier- but it weren't no CIA spook raising the flag on Iwo Jima. When a spook offs some dictator or terrorist, the public doesn't get to know about it and celebrate it as a victory.

Remember the end of the Gulf War? Ticker Tape Parades and people genuinely happy with the military because they whomped some a$$. The public got to take part in it in this manner and the military themselves got to get their just deserts- adulation and respect from the public. I think the CIA doing things behind the scenes is probably a dead effective way of getting a tricky job done and if there's no other way I highly approve, but I feel like we get robbed of something when we have to go that route. The people need to know when their country has been victorious. IMHO