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 whembly wrote:

I wasn't defending him.

Then what were you doing? Because it very much seemed as though you were.

 whembly wrote:

He did apologize as he should've, especially since it shows in that segment of the world, women can be fighter pilots. (even tho her own family disowned her?).

Do you honestly think that the dismissal of the actions of a female fighter pilot by anyone is a good response to the actions of a female fighter pilot? Especially when it is done by two male news agents, in the face of a female peer attempting to make a legitimate point?

As to the apology? Sincerity abounds:

 Medium of Death wrote:

Steve steveson wrote:Last time I checked the intent was to bomb IS positions, not randomly bombing the whole country. Prior to that it was stable, but not exactly safe given Sadams thing for bombing and gassing Shias, marsh Arabs and any other group he didn't like. We can't just walk away and say "oh well. Sort it out yourselves"

Assuming that they're just standing out in the desert with big "drop bomb here" signs then we'll be fine. You're also forgetting that we already walked away. Why walk back in and stoke future hatred? I see value in offering humanitarian aid, rather than nothing at all.

Robert Mugabe agrees with this sort of strategy. His bank account has been so swelled with humanitarian aid over the years, that it's enabled him to keep his foot firmly on the throat of the rest of the population and retain his wonderful lifestyle. He'd now like to endorse Middle-Eastern based murdering dictators for that selfsame opportunity, and thank Medium of Death for his kind considerations, advocations, & donations to that end.

 dogma wrote:
As to the apology? Sincerity abounds:

Ah, the classic "I am sorry you were offended" apology. Well done, and extra points for essentially throwing your wife under the bus. I guess she's a woman, and women are emotional, though, right? Well, anyway. Back to ISIL.

This military action get my goat, and I'll tell you why.

Just been reading the local newspaper - the usual story of hospital low on funds being refused money by local government on the grounds we're in a recession blah blah blah

And yet, RAF jets, with million dollar missiles are about to blow up some camels in the desert, for what, the 1,077th time?

If the Middle East didn't exist, Britain would have to invent it.

We've fought Nazi Germany, Jewish settlers, Turks, Italians, the French, Egyptians, Iraqis, every Arab tribe that's ever existed, Sudanese, Ethiopians...am I missing any

And here we are, Britain Vs The Middle East part 1,077th

No wonder I'm mad. Doesn't anybody read a book in Whitehall?

Because without those jets with million dollar missiles you wouldn't be around to complain about a hospital's funding problems.

Evidently, we're sending some A-10s to provide supports to troops that are not on the ground.

Ouze ought to be pleased with more Warhog pr0n:

Nice video, but it doesn't do justice to the sound.

"What's that sound, mommy?"

"It's freedom, Jimmy. It's the sound of freedom."

 Ouze wrote:
"What's that sound, mommy?"

"It's freedom, Jimmy. It's the sound of freedom."

Me
"Just 4-5 insurgents in that mud hut up the hill..the one with the red thatch roof with the big boulder left of it"
Pilot
"No friendlies or civie's in area?"
Me
"Negative. We've been hitting it with small arms, 50 cal and two Jave's."
Pilot
"Wait one.....the hut what look like a RPG came out of?"
Me
"YES YES YES YES"
Pilot
"God has heard your prayer. Coming south of your position"
Me
"CEASE FIRE CEASE FIRE!!!!! A10 coming in!!!!"

Camera's out.....

 whembly wrote:
Evidently, we're sending some A-10s to provide supports to troops that are not on the ground.

Ouze ought to be pleased with more Warhog pr0n:

**drools**

 Medium of Death wrote:

Steve steveson wrote:Last time I checked the intent was to bomb IS positions, not randomly bombing the whole country. Prior to that it was stable, but not exactly safe given Sadams thing for bombing and gassing Shias, marsh Arabs and any other group he didn't like. We can't just walk away and say "oh well. Sort it out yourselves"

Assuming that they're just standing out in the desert with big "drop bomb here" signs then we'll be fine. You're also forgetting that we already walked away. Why walk back in and stoke future hatred? I see value in offering humanitarian aid, rather than nothing at all.

Did we? I thought we withdrew over a number of years, when we felt the country had a strong enough armed forces and the Iraqi govenment asked us to leave, and continued to provide ongoing training and equipment. I don think we walked away, at least not in any of the recent wars. Humanitatian aid is not what the Iraqi govenment asked for, and wouldn't help. In fact in many conflicts like this it just makes things worse as it feeds and supports just the people we are fighting against.

The oil wells we know are controlled and run by IS are a pritty big "drop bomb here" sign...

Oil well head is cheap and easily replaced. Now a refinery on the other hand.....

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

 whembly wrote:
Evidently, we're sending some A-10s to provide supports to troops that are not on the ground.

Ouze ought to be pleased with more Warhog pr0n:

**drools**

I really dislike guns normally but even I must admit that's some really impressive stuff.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
This military action get my goat, and I'll tell you why.

Just been reading the local newspaper - the usual story of hospital low on funds being refused money by local government on the grounds we're in a recession blah blah blah

And yet, RAF jets, with million dollar missiles are about to blow up some camels in the desert, for what, the 1,077th time?

If the Middle East didn't exist, Britain would have to invent it.

We've fought Nazi Germany, Jewish settlers, Turks, Italians, the French, Egyptians, Iraqis, every Arab tribe that's ever existed, Sudanese, Ethiopians...am I missing any

And here we are, Britain Vs The Middle East part 1,077th

No wonder I'm mad. Doesn't anybody read a book in Whitehall?

This is too true. There is nothing that the West can do to fix this. It's a regional / religious issue. Unless the different offshoots of Islam can learn to at least "agree to disagree" and stop slaughtering each other, then it ain't going to happen. We need to stay well out of it so they can finally see that all these dead bodies aren't being caused by the Crusaders of the West, but actually it is Muslim killing Muslim.

 whembly wrote:
Evidently, we're sending some A-10s to provide supports to troops that are not on the ground.

Well, when it absolutely, positively must be destroyed RIGHT fething NOW I can't think of too many things that are better, and most of the ones I can would also flatten the entire surrounding countryside.

Was watching the latest airstrike update on the news.

So far, an oil refinery, two tanks, 3 camels, and 4 mud huts have been destroyed! I shall sleep soundly tonight, knowing that ISIL are on the run

Oh, and thirty civilians got vapourized as well...

What a waste...

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Oh, and thirty civilians got vapourized as well...

According to who? ISIS?

 Hordini wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Oh, and thirty civilians got vapourized as well...

According to who? ISIS?

Al Jazeera news. It's no surprise - civilian casualties were inevitable, but it's always sad to see it happen.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Wolfstan wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
This military action get my goat, and I'll tell you why.

Just been reading the local newspaper - the usual story of hospital low on funds being refused money by local government on the grounds we're in a recession blah blah blah

And yet, RAF jets, with million dollar missiles are about to blow up some camels in the desert, for what, the 1,077th time?

If the Middle East didn't exist, Britain would have to invent it.

We've fought Nazi Germany, Jewish settlers, Turks, Italians, the French, Egyptians, Iraqis, every Arab tribe that's ever existed, Sudanese, Ethiopians...am I missing any

And here we are, Britain Vs The Middle East part 1,077th

No wonder I'm mad. Doesn't anybody read a book in Whitehall?

This is too true. There is nothing that the West can do to fix this. It's a regional / religious issue. Unless the different offshoots of Islam can learn to at least "agree to disagree" and stop slaughtering each other, then it ain't going to happen. We need to stay well out of it so they can finally see that all these dead bodies aren't being caused by the Crusaders of the West, but actually it is Muslim killing Muslim.

It's war without end. As bad as British imperialism was in the Middle East, at least there was a rational: control the Suez Canal to safeguard India, or control Iraq because you needed the oil fields for the Royal Navy's new oil powered engines, but this is just bombing for the sake of it.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:

 Hordini wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Oh, and thirty civilians got vapourized as well...

According to who? ISIS?

Al Jazeera news. It's no surprise - civilian casualties were inevitable, but it's always sad to see it happen.

It is sad, but inevitable when fighting a group like ISIS who uses civilians as terrain.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
but this is just bombing for the sake of it.

I don't care if you support the bombings or not, but either way this isn't really true.

 Hordini wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:

 Hordini wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Oh, and thirty civilians got vapourized as well...

According to who? ISIS?

Al Jazeera news. It's no surprise - civilian casualties were inevitable, but it's always sad to see it happen.

It is sad, but inevitable when fighting a group like ISIS who uses civilians as terrain.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
but this is just bombing for the sake of it.

I don't care if you support the bombings or not, but either way this isn't really true.

Technically it's true, at least to me, anyway.

Politicians are talking of the struggle lasting for years, ISIS are getting talked up as though they are Nazi Germany!

Not attacking you, personally, but strategy has gone out of the window.

We have a president (Obama) who'd rather be doing something else. We have ISIS, who are blending back into civilian disguise. We have neighbouring states like Turkey reluctant to get involved, and we have a US public, which is understandably reluctant to support a ground campaign, which is the only way to bring this to a conclusion.

Air power alone never wins wars.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:


Politicians are talking of the struggle lasting for years, ISIS are getting talked up as though they are Nazi Germany!

Not attacking you, personally, but strategy has gone out of the window.

We have a president (Obama) who'd rather be doing something else. We have ISIS, who are blending back into civilian disguise. We have neighbouring states like Turkey reluctant to get involved, and we have a US public, which is understandably reluctant to support a ground campaign, which is the only way to bring this to a conclusion.

Air power alone never wins wars.

I agree with all this completely, particularly the part about air power not winning wars. That's not the same thing as the bombings being just for their own sake. They have a purpose. Whether they will be able to accomplish that purpose is another story, of course. I'm just curious how long it will take for the mission creep to happen (it seems inevitable, if they're serious about combating ISIS).

 Hordini wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:


Politicians are talking of the struggle lasting for years, ISIS are getting talked up as though they are Nazi Germany!

Not attacking you, personally, but strategy has gone out of the window.

We have a president (Obama) who'd rather be doing something else. We have ISIS, who are blending back into civilian disguise. We have neighbouring states like Turkey reluctant to get involved, and we have a US public, which is understandably reluctant to support a ground campaign, which is the only way to bring this to a conclusion.

Air power alone never wins wars.

I agree with all this completely, particularly the part about air power not winning wars. That's not the same thing as the bombings being just for their own sake. They have a purpose. Whether they will be able to accomplish that purpose is another story, of course. I'm just curious how long it will take for the mission creep to happen (it seems inevitable, if they're serious about combating ISIS).

Mission creep has almost crept up on us!

Jihadin mentioned something earlier about the HQ section of the 1st Infantry division being spotted in the area. Now, I may be wrong, but it's my understanding that a standard US infantry division is about 10,000 men. If the HQ part of that is in the area, something is going down, and it's not my bank balance!

I predict that come 2016, US presidential candidates will be using the struggle to boost their popularity, by pushing for expansion or pushing for withdrawal. Either way, this topic is not going away and will impact greatly on the 2016 Presidential campaign.

Anyway, I'm off for some lunch.

Yeah, I read something about that too. Just because they send the HQ though, doesn't necessarily mean they'll deploy the rest of the division.

 Hordini wrote:
Yeah, I read something about that too. Just because they send the HQ though, doesn't necessarily mean they'll deploy the rest of the division.

If it were any other part of the world I'd agree with you and say they're taking their wives/girlfriends on a nice holiday

But the ME at this time of crisis? Reminds me of thousands of Germans on holiday in Spain during the civil war, or pre-Russian invasion of Afghanistan when thousands of paratroopers just so happened to be on leave in the area

Totally unrelated, but all this talk of the big red one makes me what to dig out the DVD (Lee Marvin/Mark Hamill) and watch it. I haven't seen that film in years

Or when hundreds of Russina personnel went to the Ukraine on leave.

....


Too soon?

A HQ element pretty much sets up the frame work to deploy the entire division on the word go. Everything is already planned out and set up on Power Point. One of the Element is a Transportation Team who pretty much plugs it all in according to a "Movement Plan"

 Jihadin wrote:
A HQ element pretty much sets up the frame work to deploy the entire division on the word go. Everything is already planned out and set up on Power Point. One of the Element is a Transportation Team who pretty much plugs it all in according to a "Movement Plan"

Jeez... what can't Power Point™ do?

 whembly wrote:

 Jihadin wrote:
A HQ element pretty much sets up the frame work to deploy the entire division on the word go. Everything is already planned out and set up on Power Point. One of the Element is a Transportation Team who pretty much plugs it all in according to a "Movement Plan"

Jeez... what can't Power Point™ do?

You can never claim the title Power Point Ranger.....never......ever....ever

Your tax dollars at work

That's not strictly true, Dreadclaw.

Sometimes we drop them on wedding parties, too.