Navy-Contracted Vessel Fires Warning Shots on Iranian Boats

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352579,00.html ^

[Khepri]

Is it me or is that a kinda selfish outlook?

The sooner the process begins the sooner the world will have ever-loving peace.

You just don’t want to start that process in your lifetime?

Honest question.

[Khepri]

“Another more extreme dictator will fill the power void if we strike and leave. “

Yeah, those CIA good for nothings..../sarcasm

Why would we leave? Are you claiming we learned nothing from Afghanistan?

[Alter Kaker]

One can only hope it is starting...

What is starting?

[anymouse]

They don't need to be fighting a three front war.

Won't be a third front. Iran is the source of conflict on those other two fronts, plus a few other smaller ongoing trouble spots.

When you are fighting fire ants or terrorists, there is no substitute for taking out the queen with whatever means are necessary.

Quick decisive military actions always result in less longterm causalities and financial damage. Indecisive feckless diplomacy has killed millions in this last century alone.

Ancient leaders (and current belligerent tyrants) know this and would consider such cowardliness as an open invitation to attack, for no other reason than to spare the enemies subjects further agony of living in constant uncertainty.

[Alter Kaker]

I sympathize, but they’re already fighting a three-front war. Unacknowledged conflicts are impossible to win.

Nonsense. The US has won plenty of proxy wars. It beat the Soviets clear across Latin America, in Greece, in Indonesia, in Turkey, in much of Africa, in Afghanistan and in Iran. Unacknowledged conflicts are preferable to acknowledged conflicts if you don't have the will or the ability to engage directly.

I hope you understand how containing and rolling back Soviet expansionism was in retrospect the correct course, whereas bombing Moscow or invading the Soviet Union would have been an unbelievably bad idea.

[Daryl L.Hunter]

I’m glad they didn’t sit on their hands this time!

[Alter Kaker]

Won't be a third front. Iran is the source of conflict on those other two fronts, plus a few other smaller ongoing trouble spots.

Iran has 71 million people. Exactly how do you propose that the US engages with Iran, when it doesn't have enough troops to fully occupy Iran's two, much smaller, neighbors?

Iran is the source of conflict on those other two fronts, plus a few other smaller ongoing trouble spots.

That's utter garbage. Iran isn't helping, but Pakistan is the main supporter of the Taliban and Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt are the main supporters of the Iraqi Sunni insurgency.

Moreover, the main Iranian-backed group in Iraq is the same al-Maliki Shi'ite government also backed by the US.

Quick decisive military actions always result in less longterm causalities and financial damage.

Quick and decisive what? What exactly is the objective?

[ninonitti]

Then there are those who insist that WWIII/IV is going to get lit off before the end of 2008. If so, I’d say after the Olympic games and after the election. But God only knows.

I'd prefer that they hold off until I'm on vacation in February 2009 - I'd hate to see Thanksgiving and Christmas ruined by some thermonuclear unpleasantness

This reminds me of a Marvel Comic I read.

[Quix]

Selfish to drag it out slightly longer, if possible?

1. I don’t know that it’s possible though I suspect prayer can adjust some things slightly.

2. Selfish to work harder longer to get more into The Kingdom?

I don’t think so.

I’d have been just as glad in some respects to have been shot by a government stooge looking for a promotion during Tienanmen.

[Quix]

There is that, alright.

My step-dad said it would be good. Cause folks to return to basic Christian values more earnestly and wholesale.

[Alter Kaker]

I believe we can use our airpower to destoy these clowns

Destroy? How do you destroy a country of 75 million people? Unless you're talking about nuking Iran, what are you talking about? Bombing some government and army buildings? What would be the purpose? I seriously doubt that that would decrease the level of violence in Iraq.

I have no sympathy for an Iranian Army that invades Iraq that now has an Army with AMERICAN leaders, weapons, and manpower and airpower and over 2 MILLION Iraqi men who would be quite willing to re-fight that war on those terms!

In a war between Iran and the United States, the al-Maliki government and "Iraqi Army" (really an Iranian-backed set of militias) had long ago picked sides.

[mysterio]

Won't be a third front.

Of course it will.

I don't want to see a draft. Or ask our hard working soldiers to do more. They are brave and dedicated, and they've already made more of a sacrifice than I can even imagine.

[4woodenboats]

No problem if they do it from the air and hit them hard. I wouldn’t put boots on the ground in Iran. Just destroy their system of government and the people will take the country back.

Ummmmmm....

[RightWhale]

You are right. The gov’t can be disrupted for a while and the military defanged but the islamic rulers will remain. Would also be the case if nukes are used. The country could be out of business, including oil production, for a long time but that won’t help the moderates or the average family.

[homeguard]

Kinda reminds me of the Lybians in the Gulf of Sidra in the 80’s. They screwed with us until Regan thumped the hell out of em. Had to put a laser guided bomb in ol Gadaffi’s tent before he go the message. This might work with the bearded wonder of Iran as well. Wish Mr. Regan was calling the shots!

[Mom MD]

amen and amen

[george76]

bttt

warning shots should breach the bridge.

[bill1952]

I’m ready to go now.
so are all of my buds. Don’t know even one with that attitude.

Better to go and kick ass right now rather than pull guard duty around a radioactive smoking crater right here.

[Strategerist]

Blackwater just bought a ship. I kid you not.

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/10/blackwaters-nav.html

[bill1952]

Won’t work. Another more extreme dictator will fill the power void if we strike and leave

Don’t bet on it.
first, there are no more extreme leaders than the nuts they have right now, and crippling their government infrastructure would set them back decades, if not forever.