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Amen to this post; Fie on Operation Hand Slap

Reader comment on item: Arguing against "Limited" Strikes on the Assad Regime

Submitted by Belladonna Rogers (United States), Aug 28, 2013 at 03:35

As Dr. PIpes writes, "Warfare is a very serious business whose first imperative is to deploy force to win – rather than to punish, make a statement, establish a symbolic point, or preen about one's morality." But "winning" is nowhere on the horizon.

As I understand it, Kerry and the leader of the free world find it unacceptable that Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons to kill civilians, including children. So the adminstration's solution to this problem is lobbing American and British missiles "against the regime." But there's no assurance that these missiles won't also kill civilians and children. However, because we're killing the civilians and children, the cause is just and the deaths we inflict will be in pursuit of a higher cause than Assad's cause: so that the bien-pensants among Obama and his ilk can, in Bill Clinton's deathless prose, "feel good about it."

Oh, really?

And it's not as if we have an exemplary or dependable record when it comes to "surgically precise bombing." Remember May 7, 1999 when five American JDAM guided bombs struck the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, in the misguided belief they were hitting a Yugoslasv target nearby? Three Chinese reporters were killed, 27 Chinese nationals injured ---enough to cause the United States to pay $28 million in reparations to the Chinese government for this SNAFU by the end of 1999..

As Dr. Pipes notes, two days of "punishment" could and likely would have devastating effects all around, both within Syria and, of course, as retaliation against Israel.

It is the height of irresponsibility for the Obama adminstration to assuage its collective sense of outrage first by dithering over "consolations" that have now produced an egregious, hare-brained decision to satisfy the tender sensibilities of those such as Samantha Power and other great military strategists who believe that Operation Hand Slap will take care of everything.

Boy, will that show Bashar al-Assad who's The Man.

Has a more feckless administration ever been in power in the United States, one so intellectually incapable of following the course of its actions to their logical and indeed, all but inevitable conclusions?

Submitting....

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Reader comments (48) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
plan behind the picture... [60 words]rafiqSep 6, 2013 16:17209476
Sometimes you choose between bad and less bad [117 words]JeffSep 4, 2013 13:11209445
One addition [38 words]AlexandrosSep 6, 2013 05:35209445
2An opinion on why Assad should not lose the war. [555 words]AlexandrosSep 4, 2013 05:34209431
The time is here, the bad is not free [25 words]August PattonSep 7, 2013 01:57209431
2One Israeli's view [37 words]stu faginSep 2, 2013 17:32209389
Error Conditional [13 words]August PattonAug 30, 2013 23:30209336
Any sufferers in the arabic world [402 words]PrashantAug 30, 2013 14:12209328
1Take his picture off [27 words]MarieAug 29, 2013 19:59209311
A Miniscule Bombing will Accomplish Nothing [79 words]Tom SkylarkAug 29, 2013 19:07209309
No prove yet [123 words]WolfAug 29, 2013 17:02209308
3Let Islam look after its own problems [10 words]FrancisAug 29, 2013 11:11209302
Let Allah sort it out [150 words]TomSep 6, 2013 21:52209302
a nuclear armed Iran in the light of chemical warfare in Syria [53 words]mythAug 29, 2013 05:23209296
US must act to keep "Red Line" [33 words]ElyAug 29, 2013 02:35209293
Target Iran- kill the head of the snake [102 words]NuritGAug 28, 2013 20:50209281
Worlds Policeman [97 words]Jules PostenAug 28, 2013 18:45209277
Continuing the War? [76 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DavidAug 28, 2013 18:29209275
America's Time Would be Better Spent in an Attempt to Stop the Killing, Not Killing More [147 words]M. ToveyAug 29, 2013 19:29209275
Failed Policies [72 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
CyroAug 28, 2013 15:49209273
War Mongering [76 words]Peter, ScotlandAug 28, 2013 13:53209269
1Arguing Against LImited Strikes on the Assad Regime [233 words]JudithAug 28, 2013 12:47209268
Other Options [102 words]rickAug 28, 2013 12:43209267
1Cui Bono ? [389 words]SoloviewAug 28, 2013 11:30209265
1America is in deep trouble [200 words]john w. mcginleyAug 28, 2013 11:02209264
stepping stones to disasters [121 words]AkshayAug 28, 2013 10:49209263
Limited strikes [133 words]Nelson D'SilvaAug 28, 2013 09:46209260
Purpose of action [97 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
HenryAug 28, 2013 08:36209258
So what instead? Full scale war? Just do nothing? [12 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
GabrielAug 28, 2013 07:00209257
1We need to stay out of this [77 words]clayusmcretAug 28, 2013 06:50209256
The word is out: Egyptians are against any attack on the Syrian regime because they believe that the rebels are terrorists [49 words]dhimmi no moreAug 28, 2013 06:45209254
Shia vs Sunni [73 words]saraAug 28, 2013 21:33209254
Egypt and Syria [39 words]dhimmi no moreAug 29, 2013 06:14209254
1evil fighting evil [58 words]mythAug 30, 2013 04:55209254
Egypt and Syria [154 words]PrashantAug 30, 2013 13:42209254
2The MB is another name for al-Qa3ida [196 words]dhimmi no moreAug 31, 2013 06:48209254
2Egyptians are also saying that al-Qa3ida is another name for the MB [222 words]dhimmi no moreAug 31, 2013 09:49209254
1missile defense in Turkey, Assad's not our baby [127 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
mythAug 28, 2013 05:41209253
do not expose or release chemical weapons by attacks [98 words]mythAug 28, 2013 05:35209252
1Another Obama Ego Play [39 words]DaveAug 28, 2013 05:21209250
On The Other Hand... [93 words]DaveAug 31, 2013 17:34209250
Yup [25 words]Mark WerfelAug 28, 2013 04:44209248
Arguing against "Limited" Strikes on the Assad Regime [124 words]BALARABE ABBAAug 28, 2013 03:53209247
1Your initial premise may not be true in many cases [74 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
RonAug 28, 2013 03:49209246
Re: Daniel Pipes response to "Your initial premise may not be true in many cases" [84 words]RonAug 29, 2013 07:56209246
2Amen to this post; Fie on Operation Hand Slap [352 words]Belladonna RogersAug 28, 2013 03:35209245
America does not know how to do that. [8 words]Robin RosenblattAug 28, 2013 02:35209243
No strikes unless there is a clear strategy [99 words]StasAug 18, 2013 08:43209053

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