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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → Go Big, Go Long, or Go Home
Go Big, Go Long, or Go Home
2006-11-20, 10:21 AM #1
Which strategy for Iraq do you like the most?

Go Big: Increase troops levels substantially(perhaps 100,000 or more troops like General Casey wants) to increase security.

Go Long: Decrease troop levels but stay there longer, essentially forcing the Iraqi government to field more of their own security while not putting them in a more dangerous position.

Go Home: Cut our losses and get out as quickly as possible.

I voted for Go Long. Though, truth be told, I think all the options blow.
Democracy: rule by the stupid
2006-11-20, 10:30 AM #2
Substantially decrease our troop numbers but leave some in there. Increasing the troop numbers would only give the impression that the U.S. will do the job for them. By drastically reducing our troop numbers, the Iraqis might want to pick up the pace for their security or face years of total chaos.
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2006-11-20, 10:32 AM #3
Well, I wouldn't mind some hardcore military action, but... a freaking desert war! That's not posh.
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2006-11-20, 10:42 AM #4
I vote for GTFO now.
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2006-11-20, 11:13 AM #5
Yeah, that'll work real well. What needs to happen is an increase in the training of Iraqi security/military forces so they can take care of seurity themselves.
Pissed Off?
2006-11-20, 12:10 PM #6
Where is the option for "Go Nuke"?
And when the moment is right, I'm gonna fly a kite.
2006-11-20, 1:09 PM #7
Where's the option for "just let them split it into three different countries, seeing as that's what they want anyway"?

Go Long.
It took a while for you to find me; I was hiding in the lime tree.
2006-11-20, 1:32 PM #8
Originally posted by Avenger:
Yeah, that'll work real well. What needs to happen is an increase in the training of Iraqi security/military forces so they can take care of seurity themselves.

We have no business being there. We've had long enough to train their security forces. Time to get out and try to make amends to the world for being imperialistic pricks.
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2006-11-20, 2:07 PM #9
It's pretty damn obvious that we haven't done enough to train their seciruty forces.
Pissed Off?
2006-11-20, 2:12 PM #10
Go long. You don't bring a child to a cave, give him a stick, and say" Ok, now go kill the bear."

Iraq is like the child. We need to teach it to fight by itself.
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2006-11-20, 2:29 PM #11
Originally posted by Freelancer:
We have no business being there. We've had long enough to train their security forces. Time to get out and try to make amends to the world for being imperialistic pricks.



I guess we could start making amends by saying, "Oh, sorry your country's in civil war because we can't keep order, but this is really getting old, so we're going to destroy any hope you may have had for stability by leaving, and assure the only "government" you will ever has is feudal war lords locked in an eternal struggle for power. Oh, and don't mind the inevitable genocides." That'll make everyone happy.

You're certainly one to be talking about Bush. :rolleyes:
2006-11-20, 2:54 PM #12
Why not just poll the Iraqi people?
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2006-11-20, 4:14 PM #13
I agree that all the options are terrible at this point, but I'm with the go home crowd.

gbk: How about no? Jesus.

Zojombize: Good point.
2006-11-20, 5:50 PM #14
Originally posted by UltimatePotato:
Where's the option for "just let them split it into three different countries, seeing as that's what they want anyway"?

Go Long.


Go Your Separate Ways! I've actually favored that one for awhile.

And yes, failing that, Go Long.
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2006-11-20, 6:17 PM #15
I voted go long because that's what I've been told would be best from soldiers who've been there.
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2006-11-20, 9:07 PM #16
Originally posted by UltimatePotato:
Where's the option for "just let them split it into three different countries, seeing as that's what they want anyway"?


I used to think it might be as simple as partitioning, but Sunnis are afraid they will be cut out of Iraq's precious resource: oil. Kurds got it in the North and Shi'ites got it in the South.

I'm in for small troop reductions if it will act as a stimulant for Iraqi forces to take more responsibility. Overall, long is probably the safest; conveniently for the Bush Administration, it is also the option that must be pondered the least. The long haul just simply requires the U.S. military to do what we are doing now for an extended period of time.
2006-11-21, 2:01 AM #17
Go Home. It seems to me the Iraqis just want to kill each other. Surely Americans have already been there long enough, and lost enough men. All that time should have been enough, if the Iraqis had really wanted to save themselves and their nation. But it very much looks like they aren't really interested in living peacefully and in a coherent nation, but in a constant blood bath. That's not really the American way of life, so the Americans should leave them to do what they want. Obviously the Western style of life wasn't what they wanted, and so there's nothing more the Americans can teach them anymore.
Frozen in the past by ICARUS
2006-11-21, 11:18 AM #18
The Iraqi's aren't killing each other. It's terrorists from outside of Iraq doing the bombings.
Pissed Off?
2006-11-21, 11:21 AM #19
I'm told that Iran is causing much of the rucuss because they want a Shi'a Iraq. Confirm/deny?
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2006-11-21, 12:07 PM #20
Originally posted by JediGandalf:
I'm told that Iran is causing much of the rucuss because they want a Shi'a Iraq. Confirm/deny?


Yes, they have supported some Shi'a politicians in Iraq. Many members of today's United Iraqi Alliance, a political party that performed well in elections, were exiles in Iran before returning to Iraq after the fall of Hussein.

As far as conflict, the ruckus comes from the violent conflict between Iran-backed Shi'a and the minority Sunni. Indirectly, I guess they could be a cause.
2006-11-21, 1:35 PM #21
I voted go home. I agree that the Iraqi government needs to be aided in policing itself, but our presence in the middle east is only inciting more conflict. Our troops at this point have no reason to be put in harms way.

Political mandates, trade agreements, sanctions and assistance will help Iraq claw its way back to normalcy. With or without our troops in place, the timeframe is bleak. I read "Go Long" as still having a sizable number of our troops in place, regardless of the decrease in current numbers. I think that we will still need some personnel in place, but a number even less than what I percieve the second option entails would be ideal.
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2006-11-21, 7:53 PM #22
Originally posted by Yecti:
I voted go home. I agree that the Iraqi government needs to be aided in policing itself, but our presence in the middle east is only inciting more conflict. Our troops at this point have no reason to be put in harms way.

.
Originally posted by Yecti:
I voted go home. I agree that the Iraqi government needs to be aided in policing itself, but our presence in the middle east is only inciting more conflict. Our troops at this point have no reason to be put in harms way.

.
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2006-11-21, 8:00 PM #23
Originally posted by JDKNITE188:
I used to think it might be as simple as partitioning, but Sunnis are afraid they will be cut out of Iraq's precious resource: oil. Kurds got it in the North and Shi'ites got it in the South.


I didn't know about that problem. The downside I was thinking of would be the Kurds being left alone next to Turkey. Not friendly neighbors for them, but then again, who in the middle east is?
It took a while for you to find me; I was hiding in the lime tree.
2006-11-21, 8:46 PM #24
Turkey's the least of anyone's concern. There's a reason they are trying very hard to be associated with Europe and not the rest of the middle east.
Pissed Off?
2006-11-21, 9:13 PM #25
If this was an RTS I'd send several units to harass while I horded resources.
2006-11-21, 10:06 PM #26
Originally posted by Avenger:
Turkey's the least of anyone's concern. There's a reason they are trying very hard to be associated with Europe and not the rest of the middle east.


They'd still be pissed if they had an independent Kurdistan on their doorstep. Not that I honestly care what they think. It's not like they've been that much kinder to the Kurds than Iraq was.
If you think the waiters are rude, you should see the manager.
2006-11-22, 1:13 AM #27
Dunno. If the Kurds really got their own country, wouldn't a lot of the troublesome elements likely move there, leaving Turkey? I fail to see how their own country would bring more troubles to Turkey than a mass of people desperately fighting to get their own country. If they wanted a sizable chunk of Turkish soil for their little realm, well, that could be bitter medicine for the Turks to swallow.
Frozen in the past by ICARUS
2006-11-22, 1:52 AM #28
Where's the Sam Fisher option? Oh right! I forgot he's a double agent.

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