re: Pres Obama is an embarassment as CIC

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State

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Yeah, the are definitely major players in SOFA. I dont have the time now but ill explain some of my thoughts later.

And I bet you think Bush and Reagan are legends

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I noticed those who objected to leaving were never so vocal about these issues when we all felt the war was never ending and the theater would remain open indefinitely. They also did a great job on the SOFA agreement...

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I definitely could have stated that better. Let me try to clarify a little bit.

I was briefed numerous times from 2006 up to 2008, when the SOFA was signed, about many of the changes and limitations that ended up in the final agreement. Our command knew it was coming and worked hard disseminating the information and getting long term strategy down to us as quickly as possible so we could start putting mechanisms in place to avoid a complete and total screeching halt of long term operations in the event of a SOFA type agreement. We routinely got push back from the highest levels of command on many of these initiatives (the very ones we kept hearing were so important in 2010 and 2011 sadly enough.) because they were more focused on Vietnam era numerical definitions of success which is infinitely more sexy than the long term aspects of COIN operations. Yeah, I know, everybody bitches at the command for everything. I get tired of hearing it too, but in this particular case they were dead wrong and admitted as much once the 11th hour hit in 2010.

The SOFA agreement itself was a easily forecast able event, but the speed at which the document came into being was mind blowing. Sadly, our higher level commanders were in no way prepared to defend some of their objections to the agreement when they got their day to do so. In fact, I feel as though it was the first time they had really considered the ramifications of a SOFA. State and the other entities involved with this process are difficult enough to work with, but if you are playing catch-up or have't been proactive, they will eat your lunch. I think that is in large part what happened.

In the end, the military adapted to the circumstances, and the good units got the job done as best they could. The good officers and NCOs have a way of making sure that happens. Unfortunately, despite their valiant efforts, we have massive gaps left in our strategy even after 8-9 years of operations.


For me it was a lesson on many levels

Primarily: COIN ops and unconventional warfare are always long term, and like investing, you can never start executing long term strategy soon enough. Commanders who know and understand the UW/COIN environment need to be the ones calling the shots from the outset.

That was probably confusing as shite. I am trying to make my point without getting too far into specifics

He certainly was not going to hit us with an ICBM if that is what you are asking. However, he could have by now certainly developed the ability and connections to have a couple of people in cities with dirty bombs enough to make living there real unpleasant.

Look if a couple of camel jockeys can make the hole they did in New York with a box cutter what the heck do you think a head of state can do though various other channels.

Look at the UN reports on some of the biological stuff he was actively working on (yeah I know the common misconception is no WMD program but even the UN admits there was).

If he was still in power who the hell knows what we would be facing right now. Bush was dead on with his Axis of evil remark.

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Yea Saddam definitely posed a grave threat. I don't think he would've made an attack directly himself, but his real danger was the terrorists he harbored in Iraq and his potential to fund each and every one of them. He needed to be taken out.

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wow two people in one thread.

What a good lemming you make.

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Saddam sucked, for his people, but after Gulf War 1 he was toothless and was no threat to anyone except for someone who lived in Iraq. But hey, keep pulling the lever for the little R and listening to Fox news.

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Are you saying that Hillary, and the majority of the democrats were listening to Fox News.

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raq demobilization --- too early, country falling apart

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He exited on Bush's timeframe... Y'all can't have it both ways.

First he gets no credit for pulling the troops out because "It was on Bush's timeframe" and now get gets no credit because he tried to broker a deal for them to stay and was rejected by the iraqis.

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First he gets no credit

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There's nothing BHO deserves credit for up to this point.

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So people actually believed the shite sandwich W was feeding them. I had no idea.

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No I believe my own eyes. I saw some of the intel and I can assure you Hussein was anything but contained.

You act like no one entered or left Iraq after Operation Dessert Storm was over. That is moronic. I do not watch ANY news, I do my own research from a variety of sources now a days.

Let me ask you something rob, was the first bombing of the World Trade Center a terror attack? Do you know who coordinated that? Do you know what Passport he traveled under? Do some research on that and let me know how "toothless" Sadaam was.

Google - Abdul Rahman Yasin and tell me how toothless Saddam was - the same Saddam that was paying Abdul's "retirement" pension.

I could give dozens of examples of how this supposedly "toothless" person was elbow deep in global terror including attacks on US soil.

Couple that with the FACT that sanctions can't go on forever and you are either in denial or an utter moron.