What would your strategic advice be to Gen Joe Dunford on our best military options against Daesh?

2016-01-07T09:39:18-05:00

It's 0200 your phone rings: "Hello (insert yr name) this is Joe Dunford up in DC. I'm in kind of a bind up here and need some well thought out advice on our military options against Daesh; I've seen on RallyPoint that you have expressed some good insights on this subject. Can you help me out? I need to brief POTUS at 6am."

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2016 9:59 AM

2016-01-07T09:59:51-05:00

My advice would be not to focus on Danish, but focus on the larger problem. Al-Qaeda, Da'ish, Boko Haram etc. are all manifestations of a specific strand of Islamic ideology. Dr. Sebastian Gorka has written some really interesting papers on this, but the problem is not any one particular group but the ideology that all the groups use as the backbone of their organizations. If we cannot defeat the ideology, than after Da'ish is defeated another group will emerge with the same ideology and roughly the same goals.

Response by MSgt James Mullis made Jan 7 at 2016 11:44 AM

2016-01-07T11:44:05-05:00

Sometimes the old advice is still the best: "Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius" or to use a less formal English translation: "Kill them all and let God (or Allah) sort them out"

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Jan 7 at 2016 12:30 PM

2016-01-07T12:30:35-05:00

I love this question. Capt Tom Brown, well done sir.

My advice: this is a battle of ideas. We need to fight it as such. There needs to be a world summit on Islam hosted by an Islamic nation, paid for by us and inviting both our allies and our adversaries to debate and disagree and argue it out. Over and over again. Because if we believe our ideas and those of our muslim allies are superior (i.e. don't kill other people for what they believe) then they will win as long as the battle of ideas is open.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2016 12:43 PM

2016-01-07T12:43:51-05:00

I would tell General Dumford that we need to take some of the money that the POTUS wants to use on his crusade against global warming to fund our military with the hundreds of billions to fight world War V against ISIL and other extremists that threaten out Western Culture. I would suggest the cancellation of RIFS of 40K soldiers in the RA. We need to not cut back the ARNG and the USAR. We need to keep the A-10 and build more of them. Build the F-35 in smaller numbers (even if the cost per plane and engines go up since they are behind by 7 years anyways). Fund more F-18 Super Hornets as a stopgap measure. Make a 4th Marine MEF. Build up the U.S Navy to 1989 levels.

I would have a meeting of all Faiths meet in Rome or at the U.N. and discuss ideas and ways to get along and reduce the schism between Shia and Sunni. Get Saudi Royal Family and Shia Imams on board too.

Work with Arab Governments to get their input and continue to pound ISIL and boko haram and have a coalition in Iraq and have Peace talks in Syria with the Assad Regime. We can do what the president wants on global warming but not at the expense of global cooling nuclear war between Iran and Israel or a weaponized Saudi Arabia or neighbor who builds a bomb when Iran gets one in 7 years.

We need to be strong and be an offensive fighting force again instead of looking like the British after World War II.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2016 1:29 PM

2016-01-07T13:29:52-05:00

Send me.

I'll have a white paper on your desk by 0500 tomorrow detailing what I need for resources and support.

Response by MSgt C Madd made Jan 7 at 2016 2:09 PM

2016-01-07T14:09:50-05:00

"If you kill enough of them, they stop fighting." General Curtis LeMay

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Jan 7 at 2016 3:09 PM

2016-01-07T15:09:47-05:00

Id say read how Patton approached war and do as he did. Kill them until they stop coming and then kill a few more for good measure.