Discussion: Pentagon Chief: Iraqi Strike May Be 'Mistake' By 2 Sides

TPM Article Topics
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Discussion for article #243960

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Thanks, Dubya.

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… and Dick, and Paul, and Douglas, and Donald, and Colin, and Ahmed, and Judith, and…

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I gotta say, ever since this guy took over, I haven’t been a very big fan of his hawkish approach. Just seems that he’s working contrary to the way the Obama administration had prosecuted the threat of ISIS before he was appointed. I hope he’s not a rogue player in his position because honestly, he comes off at times like he is.

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“These kinds of things happen when you’re fighting side by side as we are,” Carter said. He said the airstrike Friday “has all the indications of being a mistake of the kind that can happen on a dynamic battlefield.”

Yes, these things do happen in warfare. Just ask any member of the 101st Airborne’s 3rd Brigade who was in the battle for “Hamburger Hill”, just one of more than a thousand friendly fire incidents in Vietnam. The Fog of War I believe it’s called.

We keep hearing continual calls from the GOTP Clown car for things like carpet bombing, more boots on the ground so on and so forth as if this is the path to defeating daesh.

It’s not. It’s the path to eradicating this particular incarnation of symptoms born of deeply rooted social ailments in the region. Unless those ailments are properly addressed then we’re only severing one head of the Hydra and the symptoms will keep popping up and spreading.

For those of you who are interested here is an article that speaks to the fallacy of taking down daesh solely through use of military might.

Why defeating ISIS with military might is starry eyed idealism

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TPM:

Asked if he was worried the deaths might further anger Iraqi citizens who may not be happy with the American and coalition presence in Iraq, Carter said, “I hope Iraqis will understand that this is a reflection of things that happen in combat. But it’s also a reflection of how closely we are working with the government” of Iraq.

Seriously tone-deaf response, Sec. Carter.

If accidentally bombing their troops is a reflection of how closely we’re working with Iraq, then I think most Iraqis are going to reply, “With friends like these …”

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Far too often it’s more dangerous to be fighting beside American troops than against them. I believe the US is responsible for more friendly fire deaths than any other country.