DescentBB

I heard a absolutely fascinating explanation of why the Iraqi insurgent problem is as strong as it is. I trust most of you here remember way back prior to the invasion, Turkey decided at the last minute to bar two of our army divisions from passing overland through its territorial jurisdiction. As a result, these two divisions could not sweep down from the north as our other troops came up from the south. The result being many of the fedyeen and baathist thugs could make a escape northward and disperse.
If the two stymied divisions could have attacked down from the north and blocked off this northern escape route. The results would have been many of the trouble makers in evidence now would have either been captured or killed.
When the dems crow about how there are not enough troops on the ground in Iraq they are partially right. If Turkey didn't screw us at the start of the war, the troops we have in Iraq may very well be enough. So I hope the Kurds in the north of Iraq get their own state (as part of Iraq)as this was something Turkey was dead set against. cest la vie (sp?)

c'est la vie

damn, i thought you were going to say they were funded by Heinz ketchup or something...

Interesting theory. Where's your data?

Dedman wrote:Interesting theory. Where's your data?

O'Reilly interviewed him on last nights show. I should have written the guys name down. Perhaps someone with access to shows transcripts can give more info.

I would love to read that.

Oh Mr O'Reilly was part of the information conduit that really make it believable!!
This is the a**hole who is quoted in the receint McLean's (Canadian news mag.) as saying, on air on May 8 2004, (And I have to paraphrase since I am out of town and don't have the mag. here)
"The U.S. has freed more people than the rest of the world combined. While France and Canada have done nothing."
I guess the 180,000 Canadian soldiers buried in Europe and Korea did nothing at all did they. I guess the 5 years my father spent away from his home and family dodging bullets in Holland and Germany don't count. I guess the thousands of French resistance fighters who risked torture and death to rescue downed allied airmen and escaped prisoners aren't worth talking about.
That guy is the sterotypical ignorant, arrogant American that gives the U.S. a black eye in the rest of the world.
The insurgents in Iraq never escaped anywhere. They just hid out in their basements 'till the first round was over. IMHO

woodchip wrote:Turkey decided at the last minute to bar two of our army divisions from passing overland through its territorial jurisdiction. As a result, these two divisions could not sweep down from the north as our other troops came up from the south.

In other words, one country we can scratch off the list of coming to help when they need it.

Insurgents are getting in over the borders. There's no question about that. There's also no question that Al-Zawari is a Jordanian militant who, influenced by Al Queda, jumped the border. On doing so, these thugs relocated to Saddam's strongholds.

A lot more people have died than should have. Rather than point fingers, we simply have to deal with the aftermath.

Kyouryuu wrote:Insurgents are getting in over the borders.

Fear not, John Kerry is going to completely seal the border around Iraq *and* bring our troops home at the same time

Remember when Chiraq issued a veiled threat to countries who were thinking of supporting the U.S. in the campain against Iraq? He infered that those who wanted to join the European Union should back off from helping the U.S.

Well, maybe this is why Turkey backed off from her initial stance of allowing us to go there.

Can anyone remember when the French came to help us when there was a problem?

Revolutionary War.

On the American side, there's WWI, WWII...

woodchip wrote:Can anyone remember when the French came to help us when there was a problem?

2 words.. Korea , Vietnam.

Stryker, the only reason the French helped us was because they HATED the British and this was just another way to get "Back" at them. WW1 and WW2 they needed help in the worst way. It was a different country then too... a bit.


Not to derail the thread, but does anyone know when we started getting "chummy" with Britian?

Stryker wrote:Revolutionary War.

On the American side, there's WWI, WWII...

I think it was America helping the French during both world wars...not the other way around.

Vietnam? Funny I don't remember any French troops helping out.

Would anyone care to surmise as to who first attacked allied troops in N.Africa during WW2? Hint: It wasn't the Germans.