Americans can rest easy. We now have a strategy for dealing with the ISIS or ISIL terrorists.
It is precisely as Bill O’Reilly advised; “If I’m the president I’m going kill every one of those bastards.”
O’Reilly wisdom was confirmed with the full-fledged support of Senator Ted Cruz; “Bomb them back to the stone age.”
Okay. Let’s take a look at this sagacious (?) counsel.
1. In 1998 we used cruise missiles to strike at terrorist targets in
Afghanistan and Sudan. The Afghan struggle continues today.
2. In 2001 we intervened to dismantle Al-Qaeda by denying it a safe haven of operation through the overthrow of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan. In 2009 we increased forces thus expanding our commitment to that objective. At that point our costs soared from $4.4 billion to $6.7 billion per month. From the wars inception through fiscal year 2011 it is estimated to have cost us $468 billion and we continue to spend billions more every month. As of August 4, 2014, there have been 2,201 U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan. During this 13 year war we have NOT been able to crush either Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Most of them have successfully escaped to neighboring Pakistan or rural mountain regions.
3. In 2003 came the Iraq war. We were told it was over in December of 2011. That war claimed the lives of 4,486 U.S. service men and women. That little skirmish cost us roughly $1.1 trillion. We now find ourselves lobbing even more bombs into that country.
4. In 2004, the
United States began drone attacks on terrorist targets in Northwest Pakistan
and Yemen. After dropping hundreds of
bombs in the last 10 years
those attacks continue today.
FLASH – BREAKING NEWS – Our bombs have had no impact on crushing terrorists.
So, what is America’s strategy regarding ISIS or ISL?
You guessed it:
“Kill every one of those SOBs’.” ~ Sean Hannity
“Blow them to smithereens.” ~ John McCain
We have now resumed our bombing in Iraq and are expanding those raids into Syria. Never mind the fact that bombs haven’t worked in Iraq in the past, aren’t working in Afghanistan, and have yet to yield any significant results in Pakistan and Yemen.
It is also noteworthy that we have continued, all through this era of insanity, to pour billions of more dollars into the Middle East in weapons, technology and training.
Remembering that “Nine- Eleven” was planned in Hamburg, Germany should further clarify thinking alerting us to the unmistakable fact that we cannot bomb or level enough geography to keep terrorists from plotting against us.
Add to that the very stark reality stated by President Obama; “We can’t erase every trace of evil in the world.” Yet knowing this, he is now following the advice offered by Ted Cruz and John McCain, two of the truly great intuitive minds of the day?
This is the definitive poster child for the definition of insanity; “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” Granted, our nuclear buddies “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” brought the Japanese to their knees ending World War II in the pacific and saving untold thousands of American lives. But the days of unconditional surrender and reparations are long gone.
