Posted on Dec 30, 2015
CPT Military Police
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If we defeat ISIS. What will the ME look like? Will we then have a ME dominated by a Shiite Iran along with other Shiite held territories?
Edited 9 y ago
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SGT Jeremiah B.
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The problem is that we seem to think ISIS is some sort of anomaly rather than just an outworking of underlying issues. If we somehow managed to "defeat ISIS," (I'm not sure that's really possible in any definitive way by the US) it will just be replaced by a different group that chafes enough under sectarian oppression to embrace the same methods.

Besides, ISIS is really just the religious version of the Hussein, Ghadaffi, Assad and Mubarak regimes. The ME is 14th Century Europe and won't grow up as long as we keep meddling in an attempt to preserve the structures that WE created for our own benefit 100 years ago.
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Capt Seid Waddell
Capt Seid Waddell
9 y
SGT Jeremiah B., you have fixed the target; now we just need to find the resolve.
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SGT Jeremiah B.
SGT Jeremiah B.
9 y
SFC James Sczymanski - Sorry, "We" as in the West. You're right, the US didn't do it. We (as in the US) can't seem to wrap our heads around not propping it up though. I think we just need to let it all fall apart and then help the new nations get their feet under them (and probably keep Turkey on a leash with regards to the Kurds).
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1LT William Clardy
1LT William Clardy
9 y
SGT Jeremiah B., there is no "religious version" of the regimes you mention -- three of the four are atheistic autocracies, while the Mubarak regime is probably better described as an atheistic military oligarchy. ISIS is fundamentally predicated upon a religious mandate (to go forth and conquer the world) which has gained support at least partially as a populist response to the anti-religious aspects of the aforementioned regimes.
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MSG Intermediate Care Technician
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Sadly, and honestly, there would just be another group to take its place.
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SGM Steve Wettstein
SGM Steve Wettstein
9 y
MSG (Join to see) I believe the same thing.
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SSgt Terry P.
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LTC Bink Romanick
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CPT (Join to see) Frankly, when we deposed Saddam we opened the door for Shia Iran's hegemony in the region. Iran will dominate the region unless the Saudis step up which is doubtful. We may defeat Daesh militarily, but we need to invalidate and defeat its ideology to be victorious. The ME will be troubled for the forseeable future and beyond.
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Capt Walter Miller
Capt Walter Miller
9 y
England for 300 years followed a policy of supporting the second strongest nation on the continent against the strongest. Spain ascendant? Support the Dutch. France ascendant? Support Spain. Russia making noise? Support the Turks. Germany ascendant? Support the French.

It was –only- when England threw a large land army into France to fight the Germans in 1914 that this all came crashing down on them, and now England is no longer a player.

Actually, Iran -was- our natural ally in the region. Yep. The Iranians are Persians, not Arabs. After fighting Iraq for 8 years back in the 80's, they were at daggers with Saddam. The Reagan Administration played both Iraq and Iran. That is one of the few things that didn't blow up on that bunch of clowns.

The Iranians would make a great counterweight to keep the Saudis and others in line. But that won't suit Israel either, so now we are constantly rattling their cage.

Is this far-fetched? Nope. Iran WAS our ally for decades. And it really should be again. Especially with the way we have pretty much wrecked Iraq.

But Bibi says no.

Walt
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Capt Walter Miller
Capt Walter Miller
9 y
878ad53e
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Rummy the dummy with Saddam.
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Capt Walter Miller
Capt Walter Miller
9 y
Poor Saddam probably wondered why the Bushies were up his butt.

"Sorry old chum, we were asleep at the switch on 9/11 and to get reelected we have to look tough on Terror. So we -have- to get a bunch of US service persons killed "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here."

"That makes you expendable. Thanks for all the laughs.
Love,

Rummy the Dummy"

P.S. the more US service people we get killed, the tougher we look. And we can only obstruct so many voters, and use our computer guy to shave so many votes from all the precincts in Ohio.

Sure Kerry is the worst democratic candidate since, okay, Michael Dukakis. But our ass is in a sling.

P.P.S.
We'll make sure you get a fair trial.

P.P.P.S.

Thank Allah that stupid, clueless, self serving cow Madame Clinton voted -for- the AUMF or we probably couldn't hold the White House."


Walt
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Capt Walter Miller
Capt Walter Miller
9 y
I wrote this awhile back, but what the Hell.
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