How would you fix Iraq?

[lucas80]

It's been well established that Barack Obama broke Iraq, so how would you fix it? Please be specific. Stay away from nebulous ideals. I'm going to take split it up off the table for now. How many troops would you put in Iraq? How many casualties would you tolerate? How many more service members missing limbs and suffering from PTSD would be acceptable to join all the rest from our previous actions in Iraq?
How about financial costs? Would you shoulder a tax raise to defeat ISIS and stabilize Iraq? Would you act unilaterally if necessary?

 

[swagsurfer02]

I'd make a gigantic US military base just outside of Bagdad.

We don't need a ton of bases all over the world just 3 or 4 strategically placed ones.

 

[longliveCS40]

I honestly have no idea. The middle east is a mess and always will be.

 

[HallofFame]

 

[denmar81]

That's what Putin would do.

 

[JRHawk2003]

We should have left Saddam alone, but since we didn't...we should partition it. It was an artificial construct drawn up by Winston over a glass of Brandy to begin with. Break it into a Shia, a Sunni and a Kurd state, put in Peacekeepers for 50 years...Boom...Done

 

[HRiscool]

We should have left Saddam alone, but since we didn't...we should partition it. It was an artificial construct drawn up by Winston over a glass of Brandy to begin with. Break it into a Shia, a Sunni and a Kurd state, put in Peacekeepers for 50 years...Boom...Done

Left him alone in 91?

 

[Gimmered]

Left him alone in 91?

03. We never should have gone back.

 

[JRHawk2003]

I should have been more clear. Not deposed him and occupied the country in 2003.

 

[HRiscool]

I should have been more clear. Not deposed him and occupied the country in 2003.

You do realize we'll never fix global warming unless we start getting rid of large numbers of people? Expanding global population = more violence/wars. So paradoxically the way to prevent more wars is to kill more people. More wars will eventually lead to less wars. FEAR ME WORLD! I'm a mega-genius with a mega-penis. (tmi?)

 

[pablow]

Install George Zimmerman as puppet dictator.

 

[Nat Algren]

Realizing it all started under false pretenses, if you're a doctor and realize you made a mis-diagnosis, do you continue administering the same wrong medicine that could kill the patient? Pull-out. War is horrible for the economy.

 

[theIowaHawk]

B

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

It's been well established that Barack Obama broke Iraq....

Please don't feed the trolls. This isn't true and it isn't funny.

It would be funny, if so many idiots didn't believe it. Then it would be like leading off with "It's been well-established that the Earth is only 6000 years old...." Which some people are dumb enough to believe, but most people quite properly laugh at.

 

[lou loomis]

Please don't feed the trolls. This isn't true and it isn't funny.

It would be funny, if so many idiots didn't believe it. Then it would be like leading off with "It's been well-established that the Earth is only 6000 years old...." Which some people are dumb enough to believe, but most people quite properly laugh at.

Considering the Earth was created in 5000 B.C., you must really suck at math. Good one, college boy.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

It strikes me that what we seem to be headed toward in Iraq is the "Biden Solution." Remember when Biden suggested that maybe the sensible thing to do with Iraq was to partition it into separate Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite states.

If we had done that back then, the main difference would be that the Sunni part would probably be run by whatever passes for moderates over there, instead of ISIS.

Unfortunately, not only do we seem headed toward an extremist Sunni group in charge in Anbar, but they don't look like they are willing to stop there. So, whereas we probably could have set up the Biden solution back then, with minimal fighting. Now we will have to fight for it.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Considering the Earth was created in 5000 B.C.

Really. Go on....

 

[lou loomis]

Really. Go on....

I already went on. See my post above.

"...you must really suck at math. Good one, college boy."

Just keep reading next time, brother.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Serious question: Why do people think Iraq needs "fixing"?

Why do you assume that what's happening isn't exactly what we want to have happening over there?

The US is an empire in decline. Several Islamic states are among the threats to our standing in the world. Not because they can attack and hurt us, but because they have wealth and power. Are we better off to disengage, leaving behind a strong Iran, a strong Iraq, a strong Syria, or are we better off to see them bombed back to pre-industrial strength?

Consider that it may be in our best interests to have that region of the world embroiled in self-destructive turmoil.

And if that is our objective, I'd say we're doing a really good job of it.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I already went on. See my post above.

"...you must really suck at math. Good one, college boy."

Just keep reading next time, brother.

It's still early, so I'll cut you a break.

I'm not the one saying the world is 6000 years old. I'm merely mocking those who do say that. So it isn't MY math ability that's in question.

 

[lou loomis]

It's still early, so I'll cut you a break.

I'm not the one saying the world is 6000 years old. I'm merely mocking those who do say that. So it isn't MY math ability that's in question.

Why would you mock them?

What do you do when you take a break from posting on the Internet? Push handicapped people down stairs and mutilate cats in your backyard? Watch ladyboy porn because it's the least confusing to you sexually?

I'd like to dig deeper into the life and mind of this pseudo-intellectual with obvious anti-social tendencies.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Why would you mock them?

What do you do when you take a break from posting on the Internet? Push handicapped people down stairs and mutilate cats in your backyard? Watch ladyboy porn because it's the least confusing to you sexually?

I'd like to dig deeper into the life and mind of this pseudo-intellectual with obvious anti-social tendencies.

Nah. I go door-to-door proselytizing for atheism. "Have you lost Jesus yet?"

 

[lou loomis]

Nah. I go door-to-door proselytizing for atheism. "Have you lost Jesus yet?"

Do you constantly have a thesaurus open in a second browser window?

You know who uses words like "proselytize"? A pseudo-intellectual.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Do you constantly have a thesaurus open in a second browser window?

You know who uses words like "proselytize"? A pseudo-intellectual.

I'm old. I come from a time when being reasonably well-educated was considered a good thing. I find it sad to think that I now live in a culture where people not only don't know or use simple words like that but are so proud of their ignorance that they put it on display.

 

[strummingram]

Wow... I gotta say, Lou is getting body-slam-owned here. Don't f*ck wid 'de Jeezus.

Iraq is no more broken than any other location in the world. And, unless the people who live there fix it on their own, you're going to get resentment from some of them. And... that resentment can be pretty unsavory.

 

[lucas80]

Keep in mind we haven't been invited back in yet. Do we twist arms to add combat troops to the advisors we have there now?
I've posted this before. I don't think they are tired of killing each other yet. When the Sunni and Shia get tired of slaughtering each other there will be a chance for peace. And, we've been training the Iraqi Army for a decade. When do they figure out the sectarian issues in their own armed forces and protect themselves?

 

[strummingram]

Sunni's and Shia's are both Muslims and they kill each other. It reminds me of Catholics and Protestants killing each other. It's amazing that two groups share the same Messiah and can't get their sh*t together enough to not kill each other!

 

[Buck.McCoy]

Get a time machine and re-install Saddam.

 

[THE_DEVIL]

So to sum up this thread so far on how to fix Iraq......

Uh....I dunno.

 

[JRHawk2003]

Partition is the only viable answer.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

So to sum up this thread so far on how to fix Iraq......

Uh....I dunno.

We're waiting for it to get out of control before we need to fix it.

The fun starts once ISIS is strong enough to take on Iran.

That's Saudi Arabia's objective. That's why they funded and armed AQ, AN and ISIL. That's why they are using their military to mop up Shia incursions in places like Yemen.

This is all about the coming war for hegemony in the region between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Iraq has become like Spain prior to WWII - a testing ground and a stepping stone to full-out war between competing ideologies.

Or not.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Partition is the only viable answer.

Unfortunately, it may be too late for that. The side that thinks it can win all the marbles probably won't settle for part of the pie any more, to mix metaphors. The Shia didn't when they thought they had won. Now ISIS wants to see if it can win.

If the Iran-backed Iraq government can stop ISIS, then partition talks could make sense. But I don't think Saudi Arabia would accept that.

I also wonder what Turkey thinks about all this. They have been fairly quiet. Mending some fences with Kurds. Trying to deal with a massive refugee problem. But let's not forget they are a NATO partner which could invoke NATO aid if things get too out of hand for them. I'm sure Saudi Arabia has made it very clear to ISIS and al Nusra that they'd better not mess with Turkey enough to trigger a request for military aid from its NATO partners. But will they listen?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

The main US objective - and probably the only place in Iraq we should be fighting with any conviction - is to keep the Kurdish area free from ISIS control. The Kurds have been the only group willing to sell us oil on our terms.

Similarly, in Syria, our main objective is to keep ISIS from hurting Turkey - so that Turkey has no reason to get NATO involved. We may want NATO involved some day, but not now.

So we protect the Kurds in Iraq, we protect Turkey, and we should probably be helping Turkey settle its disputes with its own rebellious Kurds.

Other than that, we stand back and let Saudi Arabia conduct its war against Iran. Selling SA all the weapons it wants as long as it keeps oil prices depressed.

It isn't rocket science, but it's a smart plan - if the morality of all the killing doesn't bother you.

 

[joelbc1]

Unfortunately, there is no political fix to the MidEast as it exists today. In hindsight, "Lawrence of Arabia" had perhaps the most appropriate solution to the MidEast following WW!. However, European allies (mainly) had to divide the spoils of war and the current political boundaries were drawn as opposed to dividing territory according to tribal tradition. Iraq and Syria are soon to be departed from political maps.

 

[Run&Blade]

Nothing. Keep getting away from oil is about it. They will still be nuts but not as well funded.

They have had enough chances. Let them rot for another 40 years.

I would keep a very big and deadly stick nearby if they act out beyond their own garbage region.

 

[lou loomis]

I'm old. I come from a time when being reasonably well-educated was considered a good thing. I find it sad to think that I now live in a culture where people not only don't know or use simple words like that but are so proud of their ignorance that they put it on display.

"Reasonably well-educated?"

I'd agree with that. You probably went to a state university.

Is there a more ostentatious poster on this board than WWJD? I would say NPRLover, but I have a feeling you are one and the same. Or is it "one in the same"... I guess I'm proud that I don't know.

 

[lucas80]

I was hoping for more out of the right wing of HROT in this thread. I guess Obama is doing all he can.

 

[THE_DEVIL]

I was hoping for more out of the right wing of HROT in this thread. I guess Obama is doing all he can.

None of the Chickenhawks have been able to come out from hiding on this issue for our HROT friends to have a line to parrot.

 

[Nat Algren]

Shouldn't we fix this country 1st before going putting on our Johnny Do-gooder outfits?

 

[Gonzo3705]

Nothing. Keep getting away from oil is about it. They will still be nuts but not as well funded.

They have had enough chances. Let them rot for another 40 years.

I would keep a very big and deadly stick nearby if they act out beyond their own garbage region.

Agreed. If they want a stable country, they need to fight for it themselves. I'm tired of us spending money, resources and lives trying to keep crazy Muslims peaceful.

If the crap gets out of hand where it actually impacts the US or Israel, then we beat them down.

This is not worth our time or money.