[rob666]

Originally Posted by niknik ↗

The most recent occupation of Iraq was nothing. That occupation was about winning the hearts and minds. It was about appeasing the insane notion that we can put a missile through a small window and only kill intended targets.

When Allied troops occupied a city from the nazis, they could level a entire block if they were shot at. The rules of engagement are far different now, that's why we bogged down in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq.

The insane notion was that if you removed Saddam, the people of Iraq would embrace democracy.

What you're looking at right now is the precise reason that the first Bush didn't take out Saddam.

Everything that they outlined at that time for NOT taking him out has happened, or is currently happening.

You can't push democracy on people that don't understand it, don't care about it and will vote along religious and tribal lines anyway.

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Originally Posted by rob666 ↗

Given that Blackwater was given immunity from any kind of prosecution its little wonder really.

Very true. They don't usually have access to the kind of firepower and support that soldiers do, though, so I can understand the reasoning behind it. Can't really hate on mercs that are just capitalizing on an arrangement that the U.S. really shouldn't have entered into in the first place. All the "ideals" of war that we like to highlight in support of the troops is kind of undermined when war starts getting privatized. Perfect example: companies like Blackwater also advise abandoning other operators in ambushes if necessary. They want their human assets to maintain their numbers as much as they can.

I wonder if TheVrist met any contractors while he was working over there.

[TheVrist]

Originally Posted by Metal Mike ↗

Very true. They don't usually have access to the kind of firepower and support that soldiers do, though, so I can understand the reasoning behind it. Can't really hate on mercs that are just capitalizing on an arrangement that the U.S. really shouldn't have entered into in the first place. All the "ideals" of war that we like to highlight in support of the troops is kind of undermined when war starts getting privatized. Perfect example: companies like Blackwater also advise abandoning other operators in ambushes if necessary. They want their human assets to maintain their numbers as much as they can.

I wonder if TheVrist met any contractors while he was working over there.

Yeah, they had no shortage of them around.

Their hiring methods were quite comical.

[rob666]

Originally Posted by Metal Mike ↗

Very true. They don't usually have access to the kind of firepower and support that soldiers do, though, so I can understand the reasoning behind it. Can't really hate on mercs that are just capitalizing on an arrangement that the U.S. really shouldn't have entered into in the first place. All the "ideals" of war that we like to highlight in support of the troops is kind of undermined when war starts getting privatized. Perfect example: companies like Blackwater also advise abandoning other operators in ambushes if necessary. They want their human assets to maintain their numbers as much as they can.

I wonder if TheVrist met any contractors while he was working over there.

I read a book about blackwater and one of its founders, Eric Prince. There was a lot of stuff going on in the background, the prince family has political power and old money going back decades.

It's a really interesting story

[Zambini]

You wouldn't be surprised then at the number of security type private companies around the ft Bragg area

[niknik]

Originally Posted by rob666 ↗

The insane notion was that if you removed Saddam, the people of Iraq would embrace democracy.

What you're looking at right now is the precise reason that the first Bush didn't take out Saddam.

Everything that they outlined at that time for NOT taking him out has happened, or is currently happening.

You can't push democracy on people that don't understand it, don't care about it and will vote along religious and tribal lines anyway.

The reason it didn't work was because of one main reason. Saddams entire leadership and military were relieved of their jobs.
Although that sounded like a good idea, to remove the people in charge, and replace them. It left nobody who knows anything about running a country, city, military, or government. And it left thousands of former guardsmen out of a job, out of money, and pissed off. Not too mention, armed and trained in insurgency.

If that one thing was changed, I'm pretty sure things would have turned out different.

It wasn't that they didn't want to have elections. It wasn't they wanted a dictatorship. They did. The only people who wanted Saddam was the people who benefited under him. And those were very few.

[rob666]

Originally Posted by niknik ↗

The reason it didn't work was because of one main reason. Saddams entire leadership and military were relieved of their jobs.
Although that sounded like a good idea, to remove the people in charge, and replace them. It left nobody who knows anything about running a country, city, military, or government. And it left thousands of former guardsmen out of a job, out of money, and pissed off. Not too mention, armed and trained in insurgency.

If that one thing was changed, I'm pretty sure things would have turned out different.

It wasn't that they didn't want to have elections. It wasn't they wanted a dictatorship. They did. The only people who wanted Saddam was the people who benefited under him. And those were very few.

They had elections, and instead of voting for people that had the best interest of Iraq they voted in leaders based on religious views.

Just like in Egypt, that got rid of a dictator and immediately voted in the Muslim brotherhood.

All of the Sunni Muslims liked Saddam, he was their man. Saddam was ousted, the Shia took power, had their retribution, and now ISIS ( which are Sunni ) are fighting back.

You are a complete idiot if you can't see that this is just the continuation of a war between Muslim sects that goes back a thousand years.

[blaze915]

Good post

[rob666]

Originally Posted by blaze915 ↗

Good post

Spam much?

[blaze915]

Originally Posted by rob666 ↗

Spam much?

Is that a challenge?? I dnt see you posting anything but comments..