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Everyone Who Wants To Destroy ISIS Needs To Know One Hard Truth
BI ^ | 8-20-2014 | Michael B Kelley and Mike Nudelman

Posted on 08/20/2014 9:57:36 PM PDT by blam

Michael B Kelley and Mike Nudelman
August 20, 2014

Just about everyone agrees that the world would be a better place without the brutal terrorist group known as ISIS (or Islamic State or ISIL).

On Wednesday, Barack Obama compared the group to a "cancer" whose spread must be contained and that the group "has no place in the 21st century." And Secretary of State John Kerry tweeted that "ISIL must be destroyed/will be crushed."

But there is one thing everyone must realize in the anti-ISIS crusade: Given the momentum that ISIS has built over the past two years in Syria and Iraq, it would be very difficult to dislodge them from the region. To actually do it would require a full-scale war.

"If destroying ISIL becomes the near-term policy goal—which seems the likely outcome of saying you are going to 'roll back' the group—then 10,000-15,000 troops vastly understates the true commitment, which will actually require years, direct military action on both sides of the Iraq/Syria border, tens (if not hundreds) of billions of dollars, and many more than 15,000 troops," counterterrorism expert Brian Fishman writes in War on the Rocks. "ISIL is an inherently resilient organization—look how far they have come since getting 'rolled back' during the Surge in 2007 when 150,000 American troops were occupying the country."

ISIS has gone through many iterations since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and is now at its most powerful point as they control a vast swath of territory across Syria and Iraq. What has become a de facto criminal petrostate brings in nearly $12 million a month in revenues from extortion and other shady practices in the Iraqi city of Mosul alone in addition to $1 million to $3 million a day selling oil illegally.

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iraq; isis; middleeast; syria
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1 posted on 08/20/2014 9:57:36 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

Full scale war now or utter western destruction later. There is no alternative.


2 posted on 08/20/2014 10:02:08 PM PDT by Organic Panic
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To: Organic Panic

There will be no peace until there is no Islam.


3 posted on 08/20/2014 10:03:01 PM PDT by blam (Jeff Sessions For President)
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To: blam

They’re a “cancer” says Agent Smith.


4 posted on 08/20/2014 10:03:21 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: blam

Let me get this straight. The Syrian “rebels” Obama was supporting have morphed into the worst terrorists the world has ever known?


5 posted on 08/20/2014 10:10:26 PM PDT by luvbach1 (We are finished. It will just take a while before everyone realizes it.)
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To: blam; All
too late; a Racist, Marxist Muslim occupies, the White Mosque
and he's entrenching w/his acolytes in federal service.

6 posted on 08/20/2014 10:10:45 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a weapon...eh? "Bathhouse" 0'Mullah? d8-)
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To: blam

This is a Captain Obvious type of article.

Except, when Kerry says, “ISIL must be destroyed/will be crushed”, something true and what should happen, I don’t think he believes it, really.

It’s just rhetoric to him and his peers.


7 posted on 08/20/2014 10:13:51 PM PDT by ifinnegan
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To: blam

The aim should be a) To take back or take out of action the weapons the West gave them b) To help any country in the area that is friendly to the west c) Stop funding terrorist/rebels/freedom fighters (Different names same BS) of any sort and that includes Hamas and Fatah d) Total support for Israel.


8 posted on 08/20/2014 10:15:00 PM PDT by melsec (Once a Jolly Swagman camped by a Billabong.)
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To: blam

Full scale all out war sounds about right to me .
bring back the draft , let old men enlist too.

Form a coalition between US-Euro-Russia & China and
GO GET SOME .

Stamp out Islamism worldwide

It’s time , let’s roll


9 posted on 08/20/2014 10:17:45 PM PDT by LeoWindhorse
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To: Organic Panic
Full scale war now or utter western destruction later. There is no alternative.

If the free world truly united, this threat could be met and defeated. It's a matter of will, not capability. I don't think vacillation (caused by lack of will) will necessarily result in the utter destruction of western civilization because at some point, we will be forced to wage an all-out war of survival against Islam (might as well throw Islam into the mix for it is spawning the terrorists). I believe it will be won but it will be much more costly than if the lessons of WWII had been learned.

10 posted on 08/20/2014 10:20:51 PM PDT by luvbach1 (We are finished. It will just take a while before everyone realizes it.)
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To: luvbach1
"Let me get this straight. The Syrian “rebels” Obama was supporting have morphed into the worst terrorists the world has ever known?"

All part of the plan. Many people claim it was his ignorance which allowed this to happen. No, it was his INTENT.

All these U.S. Airstrikes now are just a facade.... and a bit of a pique by Biraq, because they haven't yet named HIM Caliph.

Ok, that last paragraph is just my fantasy, but the previous one... You can take that to the bank.

11 posted on 08/20/2014 10:20:55 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: blam; blueyon; KitJ; T Minus Four; xzins; CMS; The Sailor; ab01; txradioguy; Jet Jaguar; ...

Active Duty ping.

After withdrawing, we will be back there fighting, boots on the ground, with the enemy using our equipment.

I am certain of this.


12 posted on 08/20/2014 10:23:09 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (Resist in place.)
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To: blam

From JV to cancer. That’s progress, I guess.


13 posted on 08/20/2014 10:25:26 PM PDT by Veggie Todd (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. TJ)
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To: luvbach1
The Syrian “rebels” Obama was supporting have morphed into the worst terrorists the world has ever known?

The Muslim jihadists Assad supported in Iraq have morphed into the worst terrorists Syria has ever known. And Assad presumably knows a bit more about the region than any American ever could. Fact is - it's a roll of the dice. Assad supported the Muslim jihadists to make the US presence there so uncomfortable that we would balk at invading Syria. Once GI's left Iraq, those jihadists turned their attention to him. But that's the real world for you - you're never competing against just one opponent, but one opponent after another. Just ask any small business owner.

Amusing sidenote - I saw one episode of the F/X series Tyrant and was hooked. It's a mashup of the ruling families of several Arab countries. Given what we know about how dangerous life in these these countries is for the rulers, due to the ever-present threat of assassination, it's wall-to-wall tension in every episode.

14 posted on 08/20/2014 10:49:58 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: luvbach1
If the free world truly united, this threat could be met and defeated.

You're thinking Star Wars. In real life, countries stay out of expensive wars until they are dragged in. And even then, they put in the absolute minimum they can, on the premise that somebody else could better afford to contribute to the cause.

15 posted on 08/20/2014 10:52:52 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: blam

strange map, try to divide that into homogeneous countries...


16 posted on 08/20/2014 10:58:47 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: blam; Organic Panic; skinkinthegrass; LeoWindhorse; Jet Jaguar; Salamander; Semper Mark
Todd 3465 has the answer

"I'm going to kill them all, Sir."


17 posted on 08/20/2014 10:59:02 PM PDT by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: luvbach1
If the free world truly united, this threat could be met and defeated.

The likelihood is very low

18 posted on 08/20/2014 10:59:47 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: luvbach1

Let us rent some of those ore ships that move between China and Brazil, draft all those welfare and send them over with rifles and MRE’s. Millions of them.

If they refuse, no more benefits.

Their mission is to eliminate Islam.


19 posted on 08/20/2014 11:01:36 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: blam
"Given the momentum that ISIS has built over the past two years in Syria and Iraq, it would be very difficult to dislodge them from the region. To actually do it would require a full-scale war."

A thought:
Nuclear weapons. Particularly the neutron bombs that we have built. Reassemble them and use them.

Another thought:
Why have we developed and constructed them if we have no intention of using them to protect ourselves? The neutron bomb seems like the weapon to use in this situation. ISIS wants to fight America by sawing off heads of Americans -- well, lets demonstrate to ISIS and the entire world what price they'll be paying.

20 posted on 08/20/2014 11:02:35 PM PDT by StormEye
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