The Salvador Option’. Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination teams in Iraq

MSNBC/Newsweek ^ | Jan. 8, 2004 | Michael Hirsh and John Barry

[rpgdfmx]

COULD be losing our way? It sounds like we already have. Death squads sound more like something Saddam Hussan would dream up than a way of building democracy to me. If this is a legitimate tool to fight terrorism, I see no indication of it... or a rationale for "secret interrogations".

Not that we're not fighting bad guys, but if we're the good guys, we need to act better and BE better than this.

[anymouse]

This should have been the plan the first day after the POS started kidnapping our people. For every one of our people that they killed, 5 of their leaders heads would be displayed in the middle of Baghdad. For every IED exploded, they would have 5 safe houses blown up (preferably with them in them.)

Sooner or later their ability to effectively threaten locals would be minimal, if they were constantly on the run. If locals new that the bad guys wheren't likely to return, they would not be as afraid of them.

[Mount Athos]

This article is disinformation, it is not a good starting point for discussion.

[hineybona]

I agree. First of all we dont know where half these guys are . How the hell can we put hits on them ? If we knew where they are we'd be blowing up the whole bock already .

[hineybona]

Another good point there buddy ..These guy are constantly on the run anyway .We dont have a clue where they are from hour to hour. could be standing 2 feet away from ya sometimes. The article makes it sound like ,at present, we are NOT activly hunting down these guys .

[Sunsong]

Not that we're not fighting bad guys, but if we're the good guys, we need to act better and BE better than this.

"be" better than what? Who is that you think we are targeting other than terrorists? Would you rather than we bombed an entire bock, killing everyone in the vincinity, rather than assassinate one terrorist?

[jaykay]

I take exception with the statement that we are losing, we are winning, but I think we could certainly be more successful if we really took the gloves off.

We may be winning, but we are winning too slowly, which is the same as losing. GWB won't be the President forever. If these 'insurgents' drag this out for a few years, do you trust whoever the next President may be, R or D, to stick it out in Iraq?

[jaykay]

We could lose our way here.

Or we could find our way here. When in Rome...

[jaykay]

We will not defeat terrorists by becoming as ruthless as they are.

Right, we have to be more ruthless than they are.

[jaykay]

Something tells me that people who's primary means of attack is suicide bombing aren't exactly going to be "terrorized" by the threat of death squads.

Have Zarky boy or any of his top goons strapped on a suicide vest and done their own dirty work? Is Osama hiding in his hole in any rush to become a martyr? Did any big time terrorist ever blow themselves up? No, they send illiterate punks who they've mesmerized to do it. When they face death themselves I believe they will stain their panties very badly.

[GSlob]

Something tells me that people who's primary means of attack is suicide bombing aren't exactly going to be "terrorized" by the threat of death squads.
Depends on how creative the death squads get. As Caligula used to say "make him feel that he is dying!"

[topher]

This is more self defense than anything else.

The terrorists have been picking on innocent civilians mostly or Iraqis in positions of leadership.

Any responsible head of a family would prevent thugs from preying on his family.

[elhombrelibre]

I agree. Kill the killers before they can kill innocent people. No ifs ands or buts. People caught planting IEDs or supporting suicide bombers should be summarily executed. People known to be financing attacks on civilians should be summarily executed. In time, the ruthless bastards will learn that they're not dealing with a weak-willed people but with people who will defend the right of the Iraqi people to become a self-governing democracy and not some playground for sociopathic Islamic nut jobs.

[cmsgop]

Barack Obama is the most Hyped Up Human Being Alive Right Now.

[tkathy]

Wouldn't make a hill of beans difference unless they take out the monstrous old mullahs, who will just go on brainwashing new butchers.

[Bon mots]

Assassination teams?

Better late than never.

If they do a good job there, we can send them on to Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Syria and Venezuela.

[skullocrushah]

i could'nt agree more. it's a great idea. im so surprised that such a strategy is not constantly in use.

[arthurus]

What is an army but a "death squad"? You fight a war with the tactics and materiel appropriate to the situation and the goals. It's not like politics inside a democratic country that is operating by its rules.