[ninefivezero]

U.S. deficient against Muslim insurgents, study says - CNN.com



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military is seriously deficient in meeting "the threat of Islamist insurgencies," says a Pentagon-commissioned study released Monday.

The Rand Corp. report characterizes "U.S. military intervention and occupation in the Muslim world" as "at best inadequate, at worst counter-productive, and, on the whole, infeasible." The Pentagon asked the nonprofit research organization to review strategies to thwart insurgents.

The United States should instead focus its priorities on improving "civil governance" and building "local security forces," according to the report, referring to those steps as "capabilities that have been lacking in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"Violent extremism in the Muslim world is the gravest national security threat the United States faces," said David C. Gompert, the report's lead author and a senior fellow at Rand. "Because this threat is likely to persist and could grow, it is important to understand the United States is currently not capable of adequately addressing the challenge."

The Pentagon did not respond to calls Monday from CNN seeking comment.

Just one more group, and this time one with serious creditability, saying we totally screwed up and still are not doing the right thing. It's kind of exactly what the anti-war movement was saying all along, isn't it? Does anyone still think the Iraq War was a good idea?

[Juballharshaw]

Mike Huckabee does and it's because he didn't major in Math, he majored in Miracles.

[Undertaker989]

At the time I thought it was a good idea, but now I think we should diffuse the situation, as much and and quickly as possible and pull out. As for how to do that the properly, I don't have the answer for.

If and when this happens, this country should let our troops know, that their efforts and sacrifices were not wasted and come with great appreciation.

[mattdev]

Originally Posted by Undertaker989

At the time I thought it was a good idea, but now I think we should diffuse the situation, as much and and quickly as possible and pull out. As for how to do that the properly, I don't have the answer for.

Part of the reason most Americans thought that it was good at the time was because of the way that the media portrayed it.

I wonder how this is going to hinder the GOP, especially McCain being a huge supporter of the troop surge.

[j0k3r]

Originally Posted by mattdev

Part of the reason most Americans thought that it was good at the time was because of the way that the media portrayed it.

I wonder how this is going to hinder the GOP, especially McCain being a huge supporter of the troop surge.

I could be considered somewhat conservative, and I won't vote for anyone who supports the war.

[MSP]

The war looks like a mistake at the moment, history will say for sure. People hated Truman for dropping the atomic bomb and firing McCarthur too, but history has put him in a pretty good light. I certainly wouldn't have supported the war (or Bush) had I known the WMD thing was complete bullshit. But Saddham himself was helping to perpetuate that belief, and the world's governments and intelligence agencies believed he had them. Hindsight is 20/20, and we're all being armchair quarterbacks.

To be honest the only opinions on the subject that I actually give a damn about belong to Ranger or Hans or Will or others in the armed services. They are the ones fighting this war, risking their lives for it. The liberal crybabies need to field an electable candidate, take control of the government, and do a better job. Or STFU.

[mistawiskas]

It was a known canno-worms when the offensive began. That's why so many administrations passed on ever doing anything about the jihad declared against us. Action was inevitable and the division amungst the US population
isn't helping. But there is a time when inventory has to be enacted and evaluation made as to the feasability of our participation.

[Goofus Maximus]

When you let ideologues start a war in a Country who's people the ideologues do not understand, the results you get are obvious and inevitable. Neo-Cons are ideologues; religious fanatics, who's church is "The Church Of Our Lord & Savior, Democracy."

[jake]

One thing is for sure, the power vacuum that is left behind after the US pulls out is gonna be a much worse place than before they went in under Saddam.

$500 billion to destroy a country on the otherside of the world and leave it open to breed terrorists. Yay for freedom and demorcracy.

[MSP]

You're assuming we're ever going to leave. Bush is building permanent military bases there, and look at the US embassy in Baghdad! They have no intention on leaving, public attention has (at least for now) turned to other things, so there's not much pressure on them to do otherwise.

[ivanolo]

Originally Posted by MSP

The liberal crybabies need to field an electable candidate, take control of the government, and do a better job. Or STFU.

I get it!

1. Not being a warmonger, by default, makes me a liberal crybaby
2. I should suppress my opinions when they are different from yours

And, everybody, stand by our president (even if you didn't vote for him). If you disagree with his policies, please STFU!

[MSP]

I wasn't taking a shot at anybody personally, and I don't particularly support Bush at this point. I just find the constant criticism of the current administration tiresome, particularly from the folks who tried to elect that meat-head John Kerry. I still see the Kerry-Edwards bumper stickers around town and I'm just tired of all the crying and whining. Stop whining! Get out the vote, donate to candidates, volunteer for your party, nominate someone I can vote for, nominate someone who can win! A black man with big ears or a bitter, leathery old bitch are the best the Dems can do? I just know I'm looking at four more years of bellyaching and dreading it.

[ATIzed]

I know it's not the news anyone wants to hear, but FOXNews.com - U.S. Military Says Seized Docs Show Al Qaeda in Iraq Is Weakened - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

BAGHDAD — A diary and another document seized during U.S. raids show some Al Qaeda in Iraq leaders fear the terror group is crumbling, with many fighters defecting to American-backed neighborhood groups, the U.S. military said Sunday.

With the way the decision makers have handled the Iraq war, they've seemingly made it a continual bleed with no definitive end, they don't seem to want it to end for whatever reasons.

[mattdev]

Originally Posted by MSP

A black man with big ears or a bitter, leathery old bitch are the best the Dems can do? I just know I'm looking at four more years of bellyaching and dreading it.

Heh, but I don't see McCain as much of a better choice. Other then his environmental policy and a few other things, I don't really agree with any of his political positions. McCain and Huckabee are both huge advocates of the troop surge, but I can see this study really hindering GOP quite a bit.

I personally think that Obama would be pretty much unbeatable ASSUMING that there isn't a huge controversy over him winning. Clinton, however, is a hugely different story.

[ivwshane]

Originally Posted by MSP

I wasn't taking a shot at anybody personally, and I don't particularly support Bush at this point. I just find the constant criticism of the current administration tiresome, particularly from the folks who tried to elect that meat-head John Kerry. I still see the Kerry-Edwards bumper stickers around town and I'm just tired of all the crying and whining. Stop whining! Get out the vote, donate to candidates, volunteer for your party, nominate someone I can vote for, nominate someone who can win! A black man with big ears or a bitter, leathery old bitch are the best the Dems can do? I just know I'm looking at four more years of bellyaching and dreading it.

You know what I find tiresome? The constant lying or misrepresentation of facts, the constant mishandling of various projects (the Iraq war as a whole, the rebuilding of an Iraqi government/infrastructure, the lack of any boarder or port control systems, etc), the constant lack of foresight the lack of any one in this administration taking any responsibility what so ever and I've grown tired of the constant hypocrisies.

And I'm especially tired of people telling me that I need to find a better candidate than the fucktard that started this mess that they voted for TWICE! As if they have any leg to stand on for telling me what to do or what candidate I should choose.

I can understand why bitching and moaning can get to you but do you honestly believe it's just a matter of getting out and voting or donating to candidates? As if doing that will magically change anything. The fact is, all we as the American MAJORITY have left is the ability to bitch and moan! When the American people aren't represented the only other option left is a starting a revolution. Considering we have the largest military in the world and people are labeled unpatriotic just for saying anything against this government I would imagine that the thought of having a revolution that would even get off the ground would seem pretty unlikely to happen and if it did it would be crushed quickly. So it seems the only real option left is to keep bitching and whining in hopes that people will become educated and demand more from their government with respect to accountability and competency!

[MSP]

Yeah, yeah, wah wah wah. Same shit I've been hearing for 8 years. 2004 should have been a slam dunk for the Dems and yet here we are. Listening to the crying. I WANTED someone else to vote for in 2004, but John Kerry? I've voted on both sides of the aisle, Clinton twice, Bush twice. And all joking aside, I would probably vote for Obama. I just don't think he's electable. Never underestimate the power of racism. It's alive and well, particularly in the deep south.

I understood the complaining after to the 2000 election. Gore should have won, no question. But after 2004? STFU already. It's time to get over it, put on our big boy pants, and focus some of that boo-hoo power on beating your enemies.

To sum up:

Less of this: And more of this:

[ivwshane]

If obama can win in virginia (and he won in alabama) I think he can win this election.