You're in charge in Iraq; what do you do?

[fgalkin]

Just a small question: how many of the people advocating "getting medieval on their ass" are criticising Israel for doing exactly the same thing?

Oh, and I say follow the KGB method: take it out on their families.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Chardok]

Just a small question: how many of the people advocating "getting medieval on their ass" are criticising Israel for doing exactly the same thing?

Oh, and I say follow the KGB method: take it out on their families.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

There was a short time I would be critical of Israel, buuuuuuut....now, I am of the strong opinion that the U.S. should sever ties with the middle east altogether and redouble efforts to cut the petroleum umbilical cord over the next few years. Wash our hands of that whole shithole. let em go at it. Like as not, when we leave, and they realize nobody is going to try to broker a peace agreement, a decent fucking pecking order will be established when certain countries realize other countries are no longer being held back by sanctions and whatnot, and will, in fact, unleash hell at the slightest provocation, causing some OTHER countries to finally quit bullying or terrorizing, or <Fill in blank action here>, or whatever. Right now, everyone there is so busy sabre rattling and puffing out their chest, and "Praising <Diety here>" that they blind themselves to the rest of the world. I say the whole area is full of attention whores.

[Sharp-kun]

Oh, and I say follow the KGB method: take it out on their families.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Won't the fundies be honored to have their children sacrificed in the name of Allah?

[fgalkin]

Oh, and I say follow the KGB method: take it out on their families.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Won't the fundies be honored to have their children sacrificed in the name of Allah?

Not if you bury them wrapped in pigskin. That's what Russia's been doing to Chechen militants, IIRC.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[CJvR]

Take off and nuke the site from orbit.

Seriously though atrocities against civilians are of very limited deterent value. In WWII that was tried on a frightening scale and the results were disasterous for both sides. The SS whiped out villages and minor cities and there was still som many partisans that the Wehrmacht had to operate in division or even corps strenght behind their own lines to secure the supply lines to the front.

[Vympel]

Not if you bury them wrapped in pigskin. That's what Russia's been doing to Chechen militants, IIRC.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Jeezus H Cheerist! Not much mercy there ...

[Sea Skimmer]

Not if you bury them wrapped in pigskin. That's what Russia's been doing to Chechen militants, IIRC.

No one can confirm the story about American forces doing that during the Philippines Insurrection, and if the Russians are doing that in Chechnya its news to me. I really doubt it true.

[dummnutzer]

About burying moslems in pigskins: A local (Berlin, Germany) hard-wing Mullah was quite clear about it not having any spiritual consequences under Islamic law. Only foolish Christians could believe such nonsense ...

Back on topic:

Problem: The Allies are seen as crusaders. Turning the mission over to NATO and/or the UN will not help, as even Germans (anti-Iraq 2.0) are being killed now.

Solution: Give the mission to the Arab League/Islamic World Conference and send in the Islamic Green Berets. Muslims cannot be crusaders. A Syrian T72 is as good at crowd control as an US M1, and its crew speaks Arabic.

Syria, Egypt and Pakistan could be bribed (expensive, but likely cheaper than maintaining US troops over there) to deploy 10-30 k troops each. The north-African states, Jordan, Indonesia etc. could deploy a few thousand soldiers each. These troops are of low combat value, but major combat operations are over, and they get US air cover.

Paint their vehicles green, put verses of the Koran on their Equipment. Have Fatwas published that an attack on these muslim heroes is a big NONO which will send You straight to hell. Many Fatwas by respected clerics, widely published (expensive). Start a modern PR campaign: Friendly Egyptians building schools, pious Pakistanis repairing a Mosquee desacrated by evil Yankee Crusaders (TM).
Use diplomacy - including bribes- to get the help of these countries. Declare openly, that an attack by Israel on any of these nations for the duration of the mission would result in US/EU trade sanctions on Israel. Order Rumsfeld to shut up and keep silent. Take Syria off the "Axis of Evil". Did I mention diplomacy?

Turn the reconstruction over to the Iraqis: They were able to keep the country running while being under sanctions and US bombing raids, they can repair it now with our help. This means no profit for Cheney&Co., sorry. Iraq´s well trained (for the middle East) workforce will be employed, if necessary by building Reichsautobahnen. People with a job do not fight, unless provoked. Muslims forces should not provoke them. Foreign experts stay out of the country, equipment is transported from Jordan by Iraqi trucks driven by Iraqi drivers escorted by Iraqi police.

So in an ever more prosperous Iraq, the Extremists loose popular (foreign, esp. Christian) targets and are marginalized.

Should have worked in 2003, but now ...