Someone peed in the punch bowl. I'm outta here! You guys make sure you
turn the lights off whem you leave, mkay?

I would much rather follow the yellow brick road. If I only had a
brain...

Ah, but you need to follow it to uh, oh, get one eh? Says the wizard of
ah's, eh's, oh's, and uh's. And sometimes ayes.

Early in this thread were two comments. One that is is surprising that
the most unstable countries were those which were strong Islamic
countries, the religion of peace. Obviously that comment was very
observant.

The other comment was that Muslim countries have greater social cohesion
than the US. Well. Lets discuss that. I would expect that there is a lot
of social cohesion in Jail. When the Taliban ran Afghanistan they had
quite a lot of social cohesion, since they killed everyone who
disagreed. In the US we have this thing called the Constitution and the
Bill of Rights. People take this Constitution and Bill of Rights
seriously. We expect people to behave in a way that respects the rights
of others. We do this quite uniformly as a group of people in a country.
I would say that is a different sort of cohesion. What sort of cohesion
to you prefer?

Hi, Now who decided that Iraq should be unstable? It was not Iraq was
it? Who decided it was not a good idea for Iraq to sell their oil for
Euros instead of dollars?? I just wonder, wonder, wonder, WHO WHO
WHO???? Who could it be??

It is my understanding that in destabilizing Iraq, The first planes sent
out destroyed the places where the old Sumerian records were kept? I
wonder why that would be? I wonder what could be in those records, that
the world rulers rather we did not know? Do you suppose it would expose
the real trouble makers on this planet?? Who is to blame for most of our
problems, maybe? And WHO is against PEACE?? I think it is the same bunch
who are, and have always been against peace. I think now days, they
usually wear grey suits!!Not Turbans. They destabilize everything they
touch. Probably pretend to be your friends.

OK, smo. Stop teasing!

WHO?

AB, you think small, and with no imagination. The idea that Russia is of
any threat show a lack of historical understanding of the area and of
the Geography!
Airbases can be built anywhere in that desert for supply purposes! They
would be a lot more secure than the Baghdad Airport that is used now!
Did you really think they truck that stuff all the way from the gulf?
How much more do you think the Arabs (or Russia, just to entertain that
idea) would worry if our troops were 20 miles from the Iranian border,
than they worry now? I think they would be happier, than with us trying
to force feed a government on the Iraqis that noone wants! (NOONE)
Think outside the failures and policies that have gotten us into this
mess, and you might actually find a solution.

Not small fanta.

I understand the tactics.

You would need a heck of a lot more troops to effectivlly control that border than what we have over there now.

Where you going to get them from?

Airlift supplies are way more expensive than trucked supplies. Where you going to get the money to 1) Build all those airports. 2) Supply those airports. 3) Secure those airports.

Again in order to provide effective air support for border operations your combat aircraft would have to patrol into Iranian airspace resulting in clashes with Iranian combat aircraft. OR you would have to establish a no fly zone in Iranian airspace (again resulting in combat clashes between your aircraft and the Iraniains).

Before you could think of doing this you would have to secure the rear areas. (The places where our troops are now). If you do not do this you have no way of withdrawing our troops when the situation is done.

If I was Iran and you attempted this action my first step of operations would be to completely interdict all your forces in the Persian Gulf starting at the Straights of Hormuz to cut your supply lines into Iraq in the first place and tie up your carrier fleet assets in the Persian Gulf so they would be unable to provide air cover in Iraq.

We can't thier war, war with rules is NOT war, but manslaughter, War needs to be fought WITH NO RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.