[paraclete]

Cats the Bosnian war was essentially a civil war in which NATO played a role, no doubt your forces served as part of NATO but I doubt you can count it as a US win.
Bosnian War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Catsmine]

Thank goodness Wikileaks hasn't gotten to everything, like U.S. involvement pre-95.

[paraclete]

I don't think we were talking of clandestine activity, I have no doubt it occurs in all places all the time and there are many involved. I know it is difficult to discern when NATO should be read as US, from a Russian perspective that is all the time. You did fight in Libya but no one could consider that skermish a win just an unending dog fight. I think the tactic of the moment is apparent, massive use of air power including cruise, and leave the locals to mop up. Perhaps it is within the President's prerogative of not declaring war but responding to treaty obligations, whatever stops it being bogged down in Congress

[tomder55]

the emperor should request an authorization. He would get it . But he won't because he doesn't think the executive branch is an equal branch of government .

[paraclete]

Well tom he is, so your theory missed this time.

[tomder55]

I explained already why he felt compelled to ask for the AUMF . His mission goal is to ' "degrade " and "ultimately" destroy ISIL '. Such language makes me think he envisions an operation that lasts longer than his imposed 3 year deadline.

[paraclete]

Either that or he anticipates a larger force than you do. Special forces can mean a number of things

[tomder55]

Either that or he anticipates a larger force than you do

The one thing he keeps in his mind from 2008 is that he was the candidate that was going to end America's involvement in all these wars . He envisions no such thing as a 'larger force'. He just wants Congress to take on the responsibility .He already has an AUMF that covers the war he's waging . He just wants to handcuff the next POTUS in a way that he isn't legally restrained.

[paraclete]

Well tom you need to elect a hawk, where is Barry Goldwater when you need him?

[talaniman]

What's wrong with congress actually doing it's job and providing a check and balance to the executive branch for the responsibility of military (and everything else for that matter) instead of sitting back and b'tching?

You keep talking about the emperor, and the way he does his job, well congress should be held to the same standard, I mean since the repubs did win the last election, and have control of the congress now.



What's wrong with congress actually doing it's job, and providing a check and balance to the executive branch for the responsibility of military (and everything else for that matter) instead of sitting back, and b'tching?

You keep talking about the emperor, and the way he does his job, well congress should be held to the same standard, I mean since the repubs did win the last election, and have control of the congress now.

[paraclete]

Tal you you think Tom is hard of hearing? Yes all branches should do their job. In the perfect system the legislature passes laws and the executive implements them but somewhere along the way you have developed an arse first system where the executive thinks it creates the laws and the legislature is involved in every jot and title of implementation

[talaniman]

Give Tom a break Clete, the sausage making is slow ugly, and loud in the US. It gets made though.

[tomder55]

What's wrong with congress actually doing it's job

They already did . He has the authority to act . He had it even if there weren't a AUMF . What he is asking for is for Congress to restrain the NEXT POTUS . In his weasly mind he will get prior limits on how the future CIC conducts the war . And if Congress doesn't grant his request ,it gives him even more fodder for his war on Congress.

[tomder55]

even Obot Eugene Robinson agrees with me about the emperor's aim .

Obama's Ambivalent War Logic | RealClearPolitics

[NeedKarma]

Well you scoured the web and found one person. Congrats.

[paraclete]

It is pointless trying to get inside Obama's head. He has to keep a lot of options open as he doesn't know how the withdrawl from Afghanistan will come out, whether involvement will be needed in the Ukraine, what might be needed in Iraq. All of these are relatively small scale compared with operations of earlier years but you can add Yemen to the mix. At the same time he must keep his forces in the Pacific and the Gulf

[tomder55]

right now he ought to be doing what he can to break the siege of the al Asad air base .

[paraclete]

Undoubtedly he is considering the possibilities, you need to remember nothing in the ME is soveriegn US territory and he can only do anything by invitation. Our special forces have been sitting in Qatar for months waiting for that invitation

[tomder55]

If American troops are under siege like they were in Khe Sanh and now presumably in the al Asad base ,then he needs no invitation.

[paraclete]

If American troops are under siege like they were in Khe Sanh and now presumably in the al Asad base ,then he needs no invitation.

More american rhetoric for home consumption a few suicide bombers somewhere nearby become a siege requiring massive retaliation
Suicide bombers get onto Iraq Ain al-Assad airbase where U.S. Marines based near ISIS positions - CBS News

Devilishly cleaver these terrorists they know how to push your buttons and get you terrorised

you need to be much more concerned about what the UN has planned for the Paris Conference, I know people who are terrified by it considering it the beginning of one world government
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Un...nge_Conference