This will end well...

[TarJak]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-08/obama-authorises-airstrikes-in-iraq/5657202

Here we go, strap yourselves in for some very nasty action over the next few days.

[Oberon]

Obama criticism even though it's likely a Republican president would have done exactly the same thing in five...four...three...

[Dread Knot]

During his statement from the White House, Obama said again that U.S. ground forces would not be returning to Iraq. There's no American military solution to the situation in Iraq, he said---putting special emphasis on the word "American."

I'm not sure if that's a subtle call for allies, but somehow I don't expect a flood of non-American volunteers flocking in to provide a solution. Not after the Syria debacle.

[Oberon]

Well, now is the best time for the RAF to act, the Canadian Lancaster is arriving in the country today so we'll have double our usual firepower. :yeah:

[Dread Knot]

Getting reports on the radio that US aircraft have struck an ISIS artillery position shelling the Kurdish capital of Irbil. Apparently they are only a 30 minutes drive away.

That close. Either the Kurds are over-stretched or ISIS is better on the offensive than I thought.

[Armistead]

Wonder how Obama feels that his stupidity was probably the cause of this.

[Jimbuna]

I hope effective control of the air will work as well as it did in Libya and assisist local forces on the ground becoming more effective.

Someone has to stop IS (as they are now known) before the ME becomes something even more unimanagable than what it already is.

[Oberon]

Wonder how Obama feels that his stupidity was probably the cause of this.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01112/mission_accomplish_1112950c.jpg]
President Barack Obama

[Jimbuna]

Well, now is the best time for the RAF to act, the Canadian Lancaster is arriving in the country today so we'll have double our usual firepower. :yeah:


https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/p526x395/10454463_10152625379819885_1457523743412336543_n.j pg?oh=d7d03e61dbd7f823d8d204a4f4dd9838&oe=5475D484

[eddie]

Wonder how Obama feels that his stupidity was probably the cause of this.

The US Army would have gone in a long time ago, but they are short of ammo and military vehicles. You know, all that stuff that was given to the FEMA Army,lol

[Schroeder]

It's about bloody time that something was done.:shifty:

[Armistead]

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01112/mission_accomplish_1112950c.jpg]
President Barack Obama



I have said all along Bush is an Idiot and certainly the cause of the mess.

[Oberon]

I have said all along Bush is an Idiot and certainly the cause of the mess.

So why blame Obama for causing it? Sure, he might not have done much to fix it, but he did what the US public wanted, got the US out of Iraq as quickly as he could. His Middle Eastern policy is perhaps a bit naive, but short of invading and occupying every nation around Iraq, and then every nation around every nation, up to the European and Indian borders, I don't see how Obama could have prevented this from happening. It was pretty much a guaranteed occurrence as soon as Saddam was removed from power, we've all talked about it, and we all knew it was coming. Afghanistan will probably be next.

[CaptainMattJ.]

When has the failure of operation "Iraqi Freedom" ever been in question. It doesnt matter how long we stayed there, how much money we poured into that place, we couldnt have ever hoped to turn Iraq into a self regulating state. There was never going to be a victory in iraq, and absolutely no part of the operation was even remotely worth the nearly 4500 killed and over 32,000 wounded, nor was it worth the $6 trillion we're going to have to pay as a result.

I dont know why Obama didnt just evacuate immediately and cut his losses. It doesnt matter when we wouldve left, the end result wouldve been the same. Now Obama wants to fly expensive jets and drop expensive bombs against a guerilla fighting force in a toilet halfway around the world and for what? Have we not learned ANYTHING from vietnam? You cant bomb a fighting force like ISIS and expect ANY kind of effectiveness, and you most certainly cant expect that bombing them will stop what theyre doing nor will it ever restore ANY stability to the region. Its time to end our false sense of duty to these armpits of the world and just let them kill each other, since thats all they seem to want now. Let them find their own damn peace, because they sure dont seem to EVER make use of anything we ever give to them or help with.

[nikimcbee]

I just want to know where all the war protesters are?
No blood for Iraqi oil.:haha:

[Oberon]

Now Obama wants to fly expensive jets and drop expensive bombs against a guerilla fighting force in a toilet halfway around the world and for what?

The problem is, if he did nothing then people would beat him over the head for not doing anything to combat the growing menace of IS and the slaughter of Christian civilians, but if he does something then people are going to beat him over the head for spending money on military operations in the Middle East.

Just another day in the Catch-22 job of being US President, a role where no matter what you do, everyone hates you. :yeah:

[CaptainMattJ.]

The problem is, if he did nothing then people would beat him over the head for not doing anything to combat the growing menace of IS and the slaughter of Christian civilians, but if he does something then people are going to beat him over the head for spending money on military operations in the Middle East.

Just another day in the Catch-22 job of being US President, a role where no matter what you do, everyone hates you. :yeah:
I know, he would be criticized no matter what he did. Presidents are always the scapegoats. Its just that bombing Iraq neither pleases everyone nor is effective in the slightest, ergo, he should just stay out of it and take the inevitable criticism for not doing anything.

[Platapus]

Kinda makes you wonder why anyone would want to be president these days?

I believe that secretly, when a president is re-elected, there is a short period, when the president is alone, he thinks "crap, another 4 years of this".

[Oberon]

I know, he would be criticized no matter what he did. Presidents are always the scapegoats. Its just that bombing Iraq neither pleases everyone nor is effective in the slightest, ergo, he should just stay out of it and take the inevitable criticism for not doing anything.

He's getting enough flak for not throwing Israel to the sharks, a couple of Hellfires on artillery pieces in Iraq throws the news networks a bone in a different direction while Biden tries (and fails) to work something out in Tel Aviv.
Honestly, the problem with being the worlds policeman, and you can't deny that America has not enjoyed that role from time to time over the years, taking a sense of self-superiority in being 'the man' or 'the fixer' when things went wrong in the Balkans or when Saddam stepped out of line, but the problem is, is that the responsibility doesn't go away when it's inconvenient. America has built this reputation up for itself over the past century that it's the 'good guy' who sticks up for the 'little guy', it's part of the American ethos, they enforce morals and take out 'the bad guys'.
Now while this ethos has been severely strained by the 'War on Terror' to the point where the American people just want the world to leave them alone, you can't shift a century of global perception in a decade.
Thus there will be a steadily declining expectation that America will have to act, especially since it is America that created the vacuum into which the IS is expanding. If America sat back and did nothing then its global standing and reputation would be damaged, and that's something that is not easily earnt back. So America has to make a token effort really, and aerial strikes are probably the best way of doing this, and if the US military has sense, they'll use mainly drones in the aerial campaign to a) keep costs down and b) reduce casualties should one be shot down.


Kinda makes you wonder why anyone would want to be president these days?

I believe that secretly, when a president is re-elected, there is a short period, when the president is alone, he thinks "crap, another 4 years of this".

You and me both, I really think that people underestimate what a completely thankless job it is, no matter what you do you're always going to upset someone. If you're a Democrat the Republicans will hate you, if you're a Republican the Democrats will hate you, if you're pro-war the doves will hate you, if you're a dove the hawks will hate you, and not only do you have the divided opinion of your public to cope with but the whole frigging world is watching and judging your every single move.

Sure, the money and power that came with it would be nice, but I don't think I could ever open a newspaper or watch a news channel again. :haha:

[Sailor Steve]

Kinda makes you wonder why anyone would want to be president these days?
"These days?"

“No man who ever held the office of president would congratulate a friend on obtaining it.”
-John Adams

“No man will ever bring out of that office the reputation which carries him into it. The honeymoon would be as short in that case as in any other, and its moments of ecstasy would be ransomed by years of torment and hatred.”
-Thomas Jefferson

"As to the Presidency, the two happiest days of my life were those of my entrance upon the office and my surrender of it"
-Martin van Buren

"I am heartily rejoiced that my term is so near its close. I will soon cease to be a servant and will become a sovereign."
James K. Polk

“I'll be damned if I am not getting tired of this. It seems to be the profession of a President simply to hear other people talk.”
-William Howard Taft

[Betonov]

''Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.''
-Douglas Adams

[Jimbuna]

Kinda makes you wonder why anyone would want to be president these days?

I believe that secretly, when a president is re-elected, there is a short period, when the president is alone, he thinks "crap, another 4 years of this".

Agreed and I would add British Prime Minister and Secretary General of the UN (and possibly others would add a whole lot more) to the list.

[Platapus]

I always thought being Vice-President would be the job. Sure the retirement sucks, but when was the last time anyone tried to assassinate a Vice President?

(alarm rings in the morning)
(Hit the White House Physician on speed dial)
"Uh, is he up"?
"Yes, Mr. Vice President"
"OK, thanks"
(Roll over and go back to sleep)

I could do that.... as a service to my country.

[CaptainMattJ.]

He's getting enough flak for not throwing Israel to the sharks, a couple of Hellfires on artillery pieces in Iraq throws the news networks a bone in a different direction while Biden tries (and fails) to work something out in Tel Aviv.
Honestly, the problem with being the worlds policeman, and you can't deny that America has not enjoyed that role from time to time over the years, taking a sense of self-superiority in being 'the man' or 'the fixer' when things went wrong in the Balkans or when Saddam stepped out of line, but the problem is, is that the responsibility doesn't go away when it's inconvenient. America has built this reputation up for itself over the past century that it's the 'good guy' who sticks up for the 'little guy', it's part of the American ethos, they enforce morals and take out 'the bad guys'.
Now while this ethos has been severely strained by the 'War on Terror' to the point where the American people just want the world to leave them alone, you can't shift a century of global perception in a decade.
Thus there will be a steadily declining expectation that America will have to act, especially since it is America that created the vacuum into which the IS is expanding. If America sat back and did nothing then its global standing and reputation would be damaged, and that's something that is not easily earnt back. So America has to make a token effort really, and aerial strikes are probably the best way of doing this, and if the US military has sense, they'll use mainly drones in the aerial campaign to a) keep costs down and b) reduce casualties should one be shot down.
Ahh who cares about our global standing, everybody hates us anyways. Whenever we try to pretend like we understand the situation in these foreign countries, we make asses of ourselves and end up making things worse. I could care less about our image, there never seems to be an end to the foreigners scolding the U.S. for getting involved in other country's business. We need to stop pretending like we can throw money and bombs at a situation until it goes away, and its about time we stop feeding the grotesquely expensive military-industrial complex that we just recklessly dump money into. Yes, it might be messed up that we did all these things to "help" Iraq and now want to wash our hands of them, but we need to cut our losses while we can. Being the world policeman is too expensive and too difficult to sustain, and whether gradually or suddenly, the U.S. wouldve eventually fallen out of the role anyway.

Maybe the U.N. can actually pick up the slack like its supposed to.

[Schroeder]

Maybe the U.N. can actually pick up the slack like its supposed to.
:har::har::har: Joke of the year.