Tonight the President announced that he has ordered air drops to the some 40,000 Christians and Yazidis stranded in the mountains of Iraq without food or water. He has authorized air strikes if necessary in support of that mission against ISIS forces who are threatening them. He has also announced that he has authorized air strikes to protect Americans in the Iraqi Kurdistan city of Irbil, where American diplomats and military advisers are stationed.
I support that move. While I don't want to see American forces fighting in Iraq on the ground, I feel that air strikes are the right thing to do. I would go even further. I think that ISIS forces on the ground should be targeted wherever they are. I would also hope that our NATO allies will be involved to whatever extent possible. Ultimately, those people on the mountain cannot subsist on air drops. They have to be allowed to come off that mountain in safety and be able to go somewhere without being massacred by ISIS.
Ultimately, ISIS must be destroyed. Some of their fighters are Muslims who came from the West and will one day return to the West (unless killed). I would like to see as many ISIS fighters killed as possible.
I'm glad that the president finally found the time off the golf course to address the ISIS problem.
ReplyDeleteAs a former artillery officer, I never believed that air strikes alone can win a war. I may be prejudiced on this as the air warfare capabilities have improved.
One thing I know that doesn't win anything is a bunch of cowards cowering in their closets.
Our army has to protect our embassies, identify targets, and get intelligence. We have at least 800 boots on the ground now and I predict that will increase just by the nature of combat.
I support President Obama and our air force fighter pilots. And yes, killing ISIS at any and every opportunity is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteAh, the misanthrope is a former artillery officer, subject to the usual inter-service rivalry. Sure Miggie, just highlight where the artillery should be stationed, why it needs to be there, and what sort of supporting infantry will be needed to prevent its positions from being over-run.
I certainly hope our planes sent warning leaflets, made telephone calls, and text messages to the ISIS people so they could avoid injury. I also expect to see pictures of all the bodies and wounded on CNN & MSNBC and the front pages of the main stream media.
ReplyDeleteThey demand and condemn Israel for " not doing enough" while at the same time we don't undertake any of these measures. Anyone see the hypocrisy?
Some people don't comprehend the nature of war. What we and the Israelis should do is the complete
devastation that we did in the first Iraq war when we had Saddams' vehicles trapped leaving Kuwait.
I think that would stop ISIS from beheading people and forcing them to convert to the ROP.
Telephone calls are for CIVILIANS Miggie, not combatants. Have you completely missed out on what Israel has been doing?
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