US Aircraft Strike ISIS

[OneShotFOGE]

U.S. airstrikes begin on ISIS militants in Iraq - CNN.com

 

[findingZzero]

Boots in the sky. Here we go again.

 

[ModernGunner]

Good. Once ISIS is eliminated, post again and ask if the world is better off.

 

[T.Lex]

Good. Once ISIS is eliminated, post again and ask if the world is better off.

Alas, a two-ship of F-18s taking out a mobile artillery piece is not going to achieve anything of substance.

 

[brooks45]

We have to do something.. they are nothing but animals...we swore "never agian" after ww2.

 

[hornadylnl]

We have to do something.. they are nothing but animals...we swore "never agian" after ww2.

Go be all you can be.

 

[T.Lex]

This article:
IRBIL, Iraq: Obama sends U.S. planes to aid Iraqi refugees, threatens Islamic State with air strikes | Iraq | McClatchy DC

Has some nuances I hadn't noticed before.

First, this air attack seems more directed at protecting Kurdistan than attacking IS.

Second, it looks like we aren't the only air force in the skies there. Given past articles about Russian/Iranian/Iraqi aircraft, it seems like there might be significantly more international cooperation going on behind the scenes. Perhaps a precursor of another Coalition of the Willing.

Finally, this strikes me (pardon the pun) as reminiscent of Bill Clinton's ineffective efforts against AQ.

 

[OneShotFOGE]

Its the strangest coalition ever. US, Iran, Iraq, Kurds and Syria are all fighting IS. They are such a pest, everyone has set aside their differences for the time being.

 

[88GT]

Finally, this strikes me (pardon the pun) as reminiscent of Bill Clinton's ineffective efforts against AQ.

I would expect nothing less that window dressing from the current POTUS.

 

[Mark 1911]

I would expect nothing less that window dressing from the current POTUS.

I understand it is a weak response, and motivated by political reasons. I only hope for the sake of the Christians in Iraq who are suffering torture, murder, essentially ethnic cleansing, that this brings them relief, that for them it is more than window dressing.

 

[Birds Away]

This will only be a token effort. This President does not want the U.S. throwing its weight around anywhere for any reason. He spent a great deal of time in his youth in a third world country and views the U.S. as a bully. He wants to change that perception into one where we are no more significant in world events than any other country. He is well along the path of gutting the military and ruining our reputation among our allies. I see no reason for this situation to change the trend.

 

[rambone]

Good. Once ISIS is eliminated, post again and ask if the world is better off.

Is the world better off after 13 years of war in the middle east?

 

[Mark 1911]

Is the world better off after 13 years of war in the middle east?

No. But for the civilians being butchered at the hands of the militants, a helping hand from the outside is more than a political gesture, it is life or death.

 

[MisterChester]

Its the strangest coalition ever. US, Iran, Iraq, Kurds and Syria are all fighting IS. They are such a pest, everyone has set aside their differences for the time being.

That's a pretty good point! Reminds me of that movie Watchmen.

 

[rambone]

No. But for the civilians being butchered at the hands of the militants, a helping hand from the outside is more than a political gesture, it is life or death.

It sounds good on paper, but we've spent trillions of dollars on this effort and yet the same things keep happening, only worse.

 

[Mark 1911]

It sounds good on paper, but we've spent trillions of dollars on this effort and yet the same things keep happening, only worse.

You're right. It's seems unending. My heart goes out to those who are cornered and facing death. I can't imagine being a parent and facing the choice of throwing your own child off a cliff or watching them have their head slowly sawn and hacked off with a dull blade.

 

[KG1]

Go be all you can be.

Stop being a hawk and encouraging him. He'll get killed.

 

[billt]

Is the world better off after 13 years of war in the middle east?

No, because we didn't kill enough of them. It's the same reason we lost in Vietnam. In war you cannot cherry pick your enemy. You must kill as many as you can until they give up, by any and every means necessary that you have at your disposal. Neither us or Israel has done that to a high enough degree to deter the radical Muslims in the world, and make them behave. Mass killing and destruction wins wars. Not "proper dialogue". If you need proof, look at both WW I and WW II. The last time we won. We did it with a higher body count, and because our military broke and smashed more of their stuff.

We will not make a dent in radical Islam until the idiot in chief is gone. And only then if we are smart enough to elect a President who understands the true danger of this enemy we're all facing. That is doubtful when you consider the fact we're looking at over a generation of young, liberal educated voters out there today, who think nothing is worth fighting for.

 

[Consciouscitizen18]

This is only leading to weaker foreign policy. Imperialist Obama doesn't want the US to be successful because he still thinks we owe something to the rest of the world. He's a sympathizer just like Bowe Bergdahl and wants to make as little of a footprint as possible in these airstrikes.

 

[Leadeye]

Arc Light would make for better pictures.