|
|
Post by Swampy on Aug 17, 2012 8:46:11 GMT -5
We engaged in a bombing campaign in Libya, which brought down Khadaffi - which is a good thing in itself - and the new regime in Libya may be democratic. This may be because we helped them, so we can influence the future path of their country. So the same can happen in Syria - we will shorten the war, depose a tyrannical regime that has oppressed its people and sponsored terrorism, and, perhaps continue to make the Middle East safe for democracy. Last, but certainly not least, Iran is supporting Syria, and Iranian fighters have been captured by rebel forces. That, by itself, is good enough reason to support the rebels. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2012 9:21:41 GMT -5
The problem here as I understand it is that Syria has some SERIOUS military power that Libya did not have and the cost to American and allied lives could be serious. Could we do it? Sure. Should we? For now I'm satisfied with letting them continue to kill each other. If it gets to the point where the rebels are almost beaten then maybe we should reassess. The fact that Iran supports the regime is ominous, but Iran supports any regime that is opposed to us, so what's new?
|
|
|
|
Post by Swampy on Aug 17, 2012 9:32:16 GMT -5
I don't know about that - Kaddhafi really armed his country. In any case, Syria cannot fight Nato's air power, especially since it has no major power behind it. Remember that the Vietnamese communists had Russian and Chinese support during our war with them.
|
|
|
|
Post by jerryfmcompushaft on Aug 17, 2012 10:42:57 GMT -5
Stanley, With all due respect, airpower alone can not win any conflict. Getting anything other than airpower (troops, supplies, weapons) into Seria would be a major problem. We could give them some moral support and probably some intel support but I'm not sure that would help much either. It would be a risky task and most of it "combat in cities" - nothing like the race across the desert that Iraq was.
|
|
|
|
Post by boxcar on Aug 17, 2012 11:00:48 GMT -5
Remember Russia is backing Syria and has stationed some of its elite troops there.
Also take a close look at the rebels. Just who are they? On the face of it you (or our State Department) may say they are just the average citizen. But look behind the “average citizen” and you will find the Muslim brotherhood.
You have the same brotherhood in control of Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Let them have Syria and you will next have a Caliphate.
And no, Libya will not go democratic in this century.
|
|
|
|
Post by Swampy on Aug 17, 2012 11:11:35 GMT -5
Stanley, With all due respect, airpower alone can not win any conflict. I agree. But I'm suggesting we do what we did in Libya, namely, destroy the Syrian military's air power and other assets, and let the rebels do the ground work. That said, I also agree with boxcar (boxcar???) that we don't want something even worse to take its place, so I'm a bit concerned about that. But, as I said, Libya is showing hopeful signs. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2012 12:43:17 GMT -5
Stanley, With all due respect, airpower alone can not win any conflict. I agree. But I'm suggesting we do what we did in Libya, namely, destroy the Syrian military's air power and other assets, and let the rebels do the ground work. That said, I also agree with boxcar (boxcar???) that we don't want something even worse to take its place, so I'm a bit concerned about that. But, as I said, Libya is showing hopeful signs. The problem with destroying their air power is that it is SO much bigger and stronger than was Libya's AND it includes sophisticated state of the art SAMs. Admittedly, their pilots aren't nearly as good as our's but flying through a sky of SAMs is not a lot of fun and scarcely worth the trouble in this case. This isn't a cakewalk and would required the American public to put up with yet another loss of young people for no good reason. |
|
|
|
Post by Swampy on Aug 17, 2012 20:12:42 GMT -5
They wouldn't fly through SAM's - as I understand it, the allies in the Libyan campaign used drones to destroy the air defences, and then the pilots took to the air.
|
|
|
|
Post by Swampy on Aug 18, 2012 8:20:41 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by boxcar on Aug 18, 2012 10:44:03 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by boxcar on Aug 18, 2012 10:52:10 GMT -5
As for air strikes on Syria, let the Turks do it. They are sitting right next door and have already had one of their aircraft shot down by Syria.
I quite agree with Denny. Let’s sit this little war out and let them slit each other’s throats over in Syria.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sir John on Aug 19, 2012 0:47:22 GMT -5
We in the civilized world will soon regret the so called 'Arab Spring', as the Muslim Brotherhood turn it into a bitter winter.
I can see a huge arc of 'radical islam' stretching across North Africa and taking in ALL of the so called Middle East including the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia and so on.
ALL determined to destroy Israel, and in that act will ensure the destruction of their own cult.
So says my crystal ball.
SJ
|
|
|
|
Post by Swampy on Aug 19, 2012 1:46:59 GMT -5
We in the civilized world will soon regret the so called 'Arab Spring', as the Muslim Brotherhood turn it into a bitter winter. That's my fear. |
|
|
|
Post by mcnoch on Aug 19, 2012 2:50:56 GMT -5
I can see a huge arc of 'radical islam' stretching across North Africa and taking in ALL of the so called Middle East including the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia and so on. ALL determined to destroy Israel, and in that act will ensure the destruction of their own cult. I don't see it that black, but agree that the problems just have started. We will see some areas where the rule will be hottly contested, while others will work out fine, maybe not in the sense of the US constitution, but in their own right, more like e.g. Malaysia. |
|
