How would you fight the War on Terror?

[HemlockGrey]

While browsing this forum, the Cabinet collectively realizes that you are the greatest political mind ever known to man. They whisk you away and install you as the power behind the President, and task you with fighting the War on Terror to it's sucessful conclusion.

You cannot affect domestic policy, except where it relates to national security. You will have as much money as you need to within a reasonable amount. You cannot alienate the American people, and you cannot violate the Constitution too flagrantly. Minor infractions are fine, but if the ACLU latches onto anything, your body washes ashore in El Salvador. Also, you must prevent the war from spilling into a major global war and, of course, you cannot simply stop fighting. Further, the Democrats gain ground at your peril. Approval rating must remain high.

Your objectives:

1) Significantly reduce safe havens for terrorist organizations
2) Significantly reduce the activity of said organizations
3) Significantly improve national security
4) Significantly reduce threats to American security and dominance

I'll post what *I* would do shortly.

[Joe]

Appoint John McCain to do the job. The war would be going pretty much as it is now, minus whining about "cowboys" or whatever.

[HemlockGrey]

Some *initial* thoughts, I'm not exactly sure how feasible these would be:

1) Yank our troops out of the Balkans and redeploy to Afganistan. Prop up Karzai and bribe the warlords to our side. Set up a military office tasked with aiding Karzai, starting with the creation of an Afganistani national army, reestablishing national control over the cities, and opening the country as a market for American and foreign goods. Recalcitrant warlords will be locked out of any economic benefits.

2) Time to fix up Iraq. Give the Kurds autonomy, but ixnay on the Kurdish State. Root Saddam's people out of the government and toss them out on their asses. Give restoring power and water to the cities Priority #1 status. Activate national reserves and send another 50-100K men. Draft a constitution, modeled after our own, with input from the Iraqi people- but lock out Islam, period.. Start piecing together a national legislative body.

3) Tell the Saudis to shape up or rot. Either they begin cracking down, hard, and begin massive social reform, or we take our business elsewhere.

4) Federalize the National Guard and shutdown the Mexican border. This will undoubtly piss the fuck out of the Hispanic voting bloc, but that's unavoidable. The border will be constantly patrolled, vigilante groups will be shutdown, etc. etc.

[aerius]

Black ops, lots of black ops. Terrorists get hunted down & shot and certain governments are helped "out". We retain complete deniability but some people will still say we're behind all the stuff, which we are, but we'll discredit them as looney conspiracy theorists. Damn, I gotta stop reading those Rogue Warrior novels and conspiracy websites....

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

1. Decrease our reliance on Middle Eastern oil by getting more from neighboring countries, and perhaps opening up ANWR for drilling. Opening up a few square miles of tundra and rocks for development is a small trade-off for creating jobs, and using less of Middle Eastern oil that could potentially support terrorism.

2. Racial profiling. It wasn't the Swedish that crashed the planes into the WTC, after all.

3. Put the country-invading on hold, and try improving things over in Iraq in Afghanistan. Perhaps send more troops to keep peace better, secure oil wells, draft consitutions modeled after our own, make sure no theocracy of any stripe gets government control, and while we're at it, perhaps open up a few McDonalds's, Wal-Marts, and Starbucks in Kabul and Baghdad.

If that doesn't work, then there's always plan B:

1. Turn America into an Islamic theocracy, get a bunch of weed and turn the Constitution into a giant joint, make women wear burqas, make men wear beards, stone thieves, and outlaw music, television, and kite flying. When we make them look liberal, what reason would they have to attack us?

[Solauren]

First, I want to be kept completely secret and unoffical. I mean the NSA would wonder who I am.

Anyway. (Oh, any above table stuff I have the US government do)

Afganistan:
Send in more troops
Assasinate the warlords and there top commanders as the troops are inbound, and pin it on the Taliban and Bin Laden
If the warlords troops start acting up, have the army engage them to keep them occupied, then slaughter them all in secret. If need be, elminate any newscrew, and blame it on the Taliban.

Iraq
Place all of the Tikit region under arrest, and systematically search every building.
or
Massive break and enter spree, and if Saddam is found, shot out his knee caps and radio in a stand by group of marines to pull him out.
the second he's in custody, get him the hell out of Iraq, and do not advertise it. Torture the locations of his aides out of him by whatever means IMMEDIATELY (as in the red-hot pokers are ready, and so is the horny blind guerilla). If he dies during the interegation, stage an escape convoy, put his body in it, and blow it up

I also turn control over to the United Nations, under condition that American and companies from nations that were part of the coalition get preferencial treatment during the rebuild.

Israel and Palestine
Tell the Palestinians they have 48 hours to arrest all the members of the groups there, or they get no further support. If they need the man power, sent in troops to assist them. And I mean like 200,000 troops
At the same time, I arrange for the assisination of the Palestinian government. If need be, I'll use suicide bombers with claymore mine set ups that make the ones from 'Swordfish' look low-power.

Tell Israel to stop the attacks post arrests and to start pulling everyone out they are supposed to IMMEDIATELY. As in they have 1 month, or else they loss all finincal support.

Basically, I tell them if they don't start behaving and get it done in whatever the time frame is, the US pulls out of the region and stays out.

France
Sell them Air Conditioners :wicked:

North Korea
Release a biological weapon (if we have them) designed to ravage food supplies, and send in operatives to start a rebellion and kick out the current 'leaders', and put my puppets in charge until an election can be called safely.

Either that or...
Meet with the leaders of the area in secret, and pay them off to attack North Korea all at once.

Failing that
Plant evidence of biological weapons in North Korea, report it to the President, and wath the UN take care of it (and if they don't, sent in my assasins)

I agree with locking down the Mexican Border. I think that's a good idea. I also think shooting anyone trying to get across the border illegally would be an idea.
And when the hispanic population starts causing problems, plant a false terrorist element in there population, round them up, and deport all the illegal immigrants.
(okay, this might be hard to do. Domestic policing is not my speciality. Some of my other posts prove that)

I'd also require anyone travelling to the united states from, or with orgins in, a county suspected of aiding terrorism, to provide fingerprints before coming to the US.
Immigration laws would be much tougher. This would include 'refuge' claims. Forget it.

Cuba
It's time to assasinate Castro. Just tying up a lose end. His death will take the form of poisoning. Preferably something believable. If not, a sniper at a rally with a dead cuban body left at the sight will do.

Iran
Assasination of the hardliners
If that doesn't make adifferent, smuggle in operatives, start an armed rebellion, and then arrange for the death of the current rulers.

Saudi Arabia
Killing the Saudi royal family off would be very difficult. Its huge. So I'll make sure to send 1200 operatives (assasins) each assigned 20 members to kill. And I don't care how public the deaths are. All operatives sent will look like Arabs, and will claim Bin Laden. This includes car bombs in public places.

Most of my covert ops will be made to appear like Bin Laden's work to rally public support against him.

Al Jazera
Find out where they are getting the Bin Laden tapes from. I don't care who I have to bribe, kidnap, or black mail. Remove that source, and replace it with my own to deliever fake Al Qaeda tapes, that will start blasting Muslims and Islam for not rebelling against the US, and basically staying that Bin Laden must now overthrow the various nations in the middle east to forge a true Islamic nation.
I also blackmail the experts that can say 'yeah it's him' or not to say what i want them to.

France and Germany
I'm almost tempted to have there leadership meet with accidents, like gas leaks at home.
I'd have to look into it once in power. They are annoyances that must be removed.

I'd also put Air Marshalls in Bullet Proof vest on EVERY flight in US air space, search all cargo before take off (X-ray and metal detectors) (no more mailing yourself across the country), and anyone that causes any problems on planes of a potentially dangerous nature or worth are in for a shit load of jail time. This includes Air Rage.

I'd increase security around sights that have been ID's as potiental terrorist threats, including mobile anti-air guns on trucks (stored as covertly as possible nearby)

I'd also be tempted to start asssasinating organized crime figures in the US and Oversea and make it appear a new 'muffia' with ties to terrorism was involved. This can't hurt, and might get the gangsters hunting terrorists as well. I think the Japanese yakuza clans would eat Al Qaeda for lunch if they got pissed off at them.

[Loki]

1) Whereas the rights of freedom of expression and due process of law may not be abridged, the President of the United States should significantly reduce threats to American security and dominance by supporting the revision of current domestic legislation as per S. 1552 (Protecting the Rights of Individuals Act) and H.R. 1157 (Freedom to Read Protection Act) as the first step to the eventual repeal of H.R. 3167 (USA PATRIOT Act 2001).

Furthermore, the President should acknowledge that: A) Terrorism is a self-fullfilling prophecy; construction of an exaggerated threat of violence will only serve to produce terrorist responses. B) The United States has created terrorist threats through its quest for dominance. C) Unilateral action empirically leads to yet more violence. Militarism is not categorically different than terrorism.

2) Acting in recognition that the United States military is the greatest executor of violence of the nature attributed to terrorism, the administration should reasses its military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan continue in accordance to the criticisms and suggestions of the United Nations and other international parties.

Next, the United States should significantly increase national security by reviewing its foreign policy with Israel and Saudi Arabia, mindful that support of oppressive regimes has historically spawned counter-violence.

Finally, The United States should significantly reduce safe the havens and activity of terrorist organizations by recasting the "War on Terror" as a multilateral union in response to terrorism, militarism, social injustice, and human rights abuse.

[Typhonis 1]

Didn`t the Etheopians stop plane hijackings by cutting the throats of said hijackers publickly?

[Knife]

Step one: current mess.

Afganistan. Redistribute forces so that hunter killer teams of armor and tactical aircraft are focused on open areas in the East and West along boaders. Spec Ops teams are used as brush beaters by raids and snatches based on available intell.

Warlords are given chance to set down power, one of the great problems over there is the tribalism, if warlords hang on to power they are gound into dust. Durring this, build up the goverment and train new army and police force.

Use deterring raids and other operations to make Iran realize the mistake of letting or encouraging people from crossing the boarder from Iran.

Clamp down on Iraq. Train Iraqi police force and military, then pull US troops out of major cities and have Iraqi's as primary forces in that area with US troops as reinforcments. Focus US troops on rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure.

Past messes:

Threaten Isreil with cutting off all US support if they don't actualy sit the fuck down and come up with a deal with the Palestinians. Cut them off some what so they know we're serious.

Threaten the Palestinians that the US will encourage the Isreilies to use open warfare to smear them into the ground uless they get their ass to the bargining table and start doing what they can to limit HAMAS and ect.

Start buying Iraqi oil and developing our own resourses, including alternate fuels but drill our own shit too, and tell Suadia Arabia to fuck off. If they clean their shit, we might purchase some of their oil later, if democracy takes root, and if funding for terrorists dry up.

Future messes:

Recind the executive order preventing assasinations, though with lots of control. Something like a joint consil of the NSC and the House and Senate Intel comities have to agree on the hit just so it doesn't get too carried away. Have CIA teams able to carry out targeted assasinations on known terrorists.

Granted, its late and I'm tired so perhaps I'll recind some of this tomarrow but.....

[MKSheppard]

Also, you must prevent the war from spilling into a major global war

It's already a major global war - we're fighting terrorist organizations around
the world simultaneously...

[MarkIX]

Without reducing the level of poverty in the world you can't reduce the recruiting ground for terrorists and suicide bombers, people are usually driven to extremes. Too many people around the world distrust the U.S.A. that attitude has to be changed, I don't think murder squads will do this. Building bridges with the moderates by improving conditions to reduce the recruiting areas and openly and legally dealing with the Extremists in the harshest possible termswould be a start. But are you sure the administration wants the "War on Terror" to end? The cold ear was good for government for all sorts of reasons the war on terror could be just as good.

[HemlockGrey]

Cuba
It's time to assasinate Castro. Just tying up a lose end. His death will take the form of poisoning. Preferably something believable. If not, a sniper at a rally with a dead cuban body left at the sight will do.

Very bad idea. The grass is already catching fire, and, besides, Castro can't live forever, and without the Soviets, he's no threat to us.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

Cuba
It's time to assasinate Castro. Just tying up a lose end. His death will take the form of poisoning. Preferably something believable. If not, a sniper at a rally with a dead cuban body left at the sight will do.

Very bad idea. The grass is already catching fire, and, besides, Castro can't live forever, and without the Soviets, he's no threat to us.

And would assasinating a dictator be bad for PR? I say a better idea would be to offer to lift the trade embargo if they embrace capitalism more. Then, we can get stuff from them that doesn't throw a 98 mph fastball.

[Solid Snake]

Draft any and every able bodied person between the ages of 17-30. Allow women into Combat roles, build assloads of ordinance, destroy Afghanistan, Iraq, and leave our goddamn mess for them to clean up.

[Darth Wong]

Draft any and every able bodied person between the ages of 17-30. Allow women into Combat roles, build assloads of ordinance, destroy Afghanistan, Iraq, and leave our goddamn mess for them to clean up.

Great plan

[HemlockGrey]

Great plan

While the plan is indeed of dubious value, I'm curious; what would you do?

[Solid Snake]

Great plan

Thanks so much.. I'm glad you like it.

[Solid Snake]

The only problem with the draft is that draftees are a bitch to deal with. The best way to get out of Basic Training is to be a Conscientious Objector. Tell your Drill Sergeant/Instructor/whatever that you refuse to train, and they'll send you home fairly quickly.

[Crazy Goji]

Draft any and every able bodied person between the ages of 17-30. Allow women into Combat roles, build assloads of ordinance, destroy Afghanistan, Iraq, and leave our goddamn mess for them to clean up.

I was thinking about turning the entire Middle East into Glassland and drill for oil with robots that can withstand the intense radiation. That's just me, though.

[Solid Snake]

I was thinking about turning the entire Middle East into Glassland and drill for oil with robots that can withstand the intense radiation. That's just me, though.

Well, nukes dont arent the best thing to use... See, there are two basic components of the military... Infantry, and those designed to support the Infantry. Nukes dont win wars... Warriors do.

And yes, I do realize the Atom Bomb won WWII, but I'm just sayin'.

[Darth Wong]

Great plan

While the plan is indeed of dubious value, I'm curious; what would you do?

For starters, I would stop calling it the War on Terror. This is not a war; it is an international police action. We are not fighting a nation at war; we are looking for a bunch of criminals. The problem with the War on Terror is that it has no clearly defined end. Who exactly is the enemy, and how do we know when we've won? Apparently, never. Even if we were to kill Bin Laden, no one would declare it over. So it's an unwinnable war by definition; there are no defined conditions for victory!

US state department strategy has focused on the notion of "draining the swamp", ie- cutting off the financial support structures of the terrorists. However, this is a bit like saying you're going to fight Al Capone by driving around in cop cars and beating up drunk people.

Al Capone and his ilk were dealt with in two ways: 1) removing the incentive for their support case to continue supplying them with money by repealing prohibition, and 2) hunting him down directly. If the same method is applied here, you have to deal with the Israel/Palestine situation, and expend your efforts in finding and eliminating Al-Quaeda operatives directly, instead of this roundabout "drain the swamp" bullshit. The entire Iraq affair might have arguably been important in terms of balancing the scales for what happened in 1991, but it had nothing, repeat nothing to do with the war on terror.

That means either cutting off foreign aid to Israel or playing peacemaker for real, instead of dancing around for show (both sides are waiting for the other to extend the olive branch; Israel will continue demolishing houses, denying water/electricity, and building settlements in the occupied territories and Palestine will continue using suicide bombs, each waiting for the other to unilaterally stop). It means offering generous foreign aid incentives to nations which turn over Al-Quaeda operatives, and cutting it off for nations which are uncooperative. It means cutting back on the grandiose displays of military force and relying heavily on human intel in far-off places in order to find these criminals.

Of course, if you insist on fighting it as a war rather than a police action, then you must:

1. Define the enemy in such a manner that he can be fought as an enemy in war
2. Define conditions by which you would consider yourself victorious
3. Attack the enemy directly
4. Discard any pretense that this is something other than a war

Much as the Vietnam War was characterized by friends that hated you, the "War on Terror" is characterized by America's careful pussy-footing relationship with Islam. Let's face it; this is a war of Islamic extremists vs America. And in the third world, Islamic moderates shelter Islamic extremists, so it's really a war of Islam vs America. Marina says as much all the time, and on this, I think she has a point.

Once you openly declare war on Islam rather than pussy-footing around with this stupid and meaningless "War on Terror" bullshit, the course is clear. Draw up a list of major Islamic groups that promote terror against the US, and demand their surrender or you will begin bombing Muslim shrines, temples, and cities.

Of course, this would be rather immoral, but it's how one would conduct a war. That's why I don't think this should be thought of as a war, because that kind of rhetoric leads naturally to warlike thinking, and warlike thinking tends to lead to a lot of bad shit.

[Darth Wong]

Draft any and every able bodied person between the ages of 17-30. Allow women into Combat roles, build assloads of ordinance, destroy Afghanistan, Iraq, and leave our goddamn mess for them to clean up.

I was thinking about turning the entire Middle East into Glassland and drill for oil with robots that can withstand the intense radiation. That's just me, though.

Are you people about done polluting the thread with mindless one-liner bullshit which took zero effort to write up and contributes nothing whatsoever of value?

[Solid Snake]

That's why I don't think this should be thought of as a war, because that kind of rhetoric leads naturally to warlike thinking, and warlike thinking tends to lead to a lot of bad shit.

So, thats what you think is wrong with my "plan"?

[Joe]

That means either cutting off foreign aid to Israel

This is overrated. Israel has a GDP of around ~110 billion and receives about 2-3 billion a year from the U.S., and about 1.5 billion in private donations (also from U.S. citizens). Cutting aid to Israel wouldn't make much a huge difference.

[Darth Wong]

That means either cutting off foreign aid to Israel

This is overrated. Israel has a GDP of around ~110 billion and receives about 2-3 billion a year from the U.S., and about 1.5 billion in private donations (also from U.S. citizens). Cutting aid to Israel wouldn't make much a huge difference.

Those figures have been widely regarded as underestimates due to discounting and fancy loan arrangements, but even if we take them at face value, it would make a huge difference in public perception.

Is there anything you have to say about the rest of what I wrote, or did you just seize upon that?