Solution in Iraq

[Magnet Man]

Resurrect the strongman, Sadam Husein
Execute the entire family of any suicide bomber.
Find, jail, torture and confiscate the property of all dissenters.
There will be peace tomorrow.

[fay]

it sounds like the british imperialists back in the days of the british empire.

[Magnet Man]

fay said:

it sounds like the british imperialists back in the days of the british empire.

I was being a trifle sarcastic. But the fact remains, Iraq, for all of Saddam's brutality, was a more sane place than it is today.
The hateful religious divisions that have surfaced since his demise, reveal precisely why he had to rule with an iron hand. The moral is clear. The solution in Iraq was God's business, not ours. We did not go in with a prayer - just with bigger guns than he had.

[murex]

A slow exit strategy is needed. Our economy can't keep up with this war. We couldn't ever since we started borrowing money.

We need to consolodate all the troops in Bagdad, slowly fly half of them out (accompanied by fighter jets to be safe). Fly in some missile batteries and fortify Bagdad so that it's 100% secure. Over the course of a few years, the troops that should go home would. Eventually leaving Bagdad as just a large millitary base. By this time, the Iraqi government should be in place.

[nickelfire]

admin said:

I was being a trifle sarcastic. But the fact remains, Iraq, for all of Saddam's brutality, was a more sane place than it is today.
The hateful religious divisions that have surfaced since his demise, reveal precisely why he had to rule with an iron hand. The moral is clear. The solution in Iraq was God's business, not ours. We did not go in with a prayer - just with bigger guns than he had.

I’d agree that you’re absolutely right here… As depressing and horrible as the reality is, our presence in Iraq is far more destructive than Sadam’s was.
The decision to invade for the stupid reasons it was invaded are seriously deplorable and really embarrassing, all involved in proposing this deluded idea should be deeply ashamed of themselves… The mess we’re all in now should be a lasting reminder the next time we think we should mess in some other nation’s dysfunctions with further violence… But hey, the USA learned nothing from Vietnam it seems…

[know knot]

admin said:

I was being a trifle sarcastic. But the fact remains, Iraq, for all of Saddam's brutality, was a more sane place than it is today.
The hateful religious divisions that have surfaced since his demise, reveal precisely why he had to rule with an iron hand. The moral is clear. The solution in Iraq was God's business, not ours. We did not go in with a prayer - just with bigger guns than he had.

Yes, i would have to agree with you, MM. Saddam, the "evil" dictator that he was, acted like a cork on a champagne bottle. we popped the cork and the explosion that followed is, imo, spiraling out of control. There is no light at the end of this tunnel.

Out of curiosity, MM, how would you propose dealing with the present situation. Stay? Pull out? I'd say we need to pack up. But what would be the repercussions if either were put into effect? What would the Iraqi people be left with. Besides their country, wouldn't their egos be crushed? Would packing up and leaving the mess behind be the moral thing to do?

knot

[know knot]

murex said:

A slow exit strategy is needed. Our economy can't keep up with this war. We couldn't ever since we started borrowing money.

especially with a possible, if not definite recession in the not to distant future

[rainshine87]

You can't stop this through force, because what terrorism thrives on is violence - what militia need to continue is retaliation for their attacks. You simply have to let it burn out, which it will, in time.
Want to know the most ironic thing about the Sunni/Shia divisions? I've been reading the Qur'an, and the other day, I came across this passage:

"Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving clear Signs: for them is a dreadful Penalty."

I'd like to print that up on numerous massive billboards and plaster it all over the Islamic territories - I assume Muslims consider the Qur'an such a 'clear sign'. Therefore in being divided they are being Unislamic.

nickelfire said:

The mess we’re all in now should be a lasting reminder the next time we think we should mess in some other nation’s dysfunctions with further violence… But hey, the USA learned nothing from Vietnam it seems…

Indeed. This is 3 wars in a row that the Americans have lost (If I'm not mistaken - Vietnam, Iraq 1, Iraq 2). Hopefully they'll begin to realise that they are not masters of the world. Though to be honest, I think Bush may have largely used his poor excuses for war in order to get revenge for his father, who failed to depose Saddam last time around.

[know knot]

oil

[nickelfire]

metalslaved said:

oil

So ugly... Dito