who will the yanks go after next ?

GoneShootin

who next ?

Sand

Probably the Phillipines. Something like 650 US troops have been sent there to assist the Phillipine milatary in their campaign against fundamentalist terrorists, according to the Irish Times a few days ago. Advisors only at this stage, but well see.

mike65

The Grand Duchey of Fenwick


Mike.

Fidelis

Advisors eh ? That's how the Vietnam war started :rolleyes:

Sand

Think the americans learned from Vietnam- they didnt commit ground troops to Afghanistan and still won:)

Victor

Originally posted by Sand
Think the americans learned from Vietnam- they didnt commit ground troops to Afghanistan and still won:)

Two expresions come to mind "jungle cover" and "superpower rivalry"

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Chaos-Engine

Originally posted by Victor


Two expresions come to mind "jungle cover" and "superpower rivalry"

But now.... "Propaganda US media firm cover" and "Superpower Dominence"

DadaKopf

The US has explicitly expressed an interest in Iraq. They're attempting to preserve hegemony in the middle-east which may fall like a house of cards if they're not too careful.

Yesterday, Saudi Arabia announced she didn't welcome US troops within her borders anymore and wants them out. This was, in fact expected by the US Departments of State and Defence.

How do we know this? America just recently signed a deal with Eritrea and Ethiopia (just across the sea) so that they can put about five bases on their coast and inland. This move was made to protect oil interests in the middle-east as they see the Saudi regime and the UAE as quite falling under Mullah influence.

This decision by Saudi Arabia proves these concerns.

Another development is that it is most likely that the Al Quaida operatives who were in Afghanistan have fled and dispersed. This was to be expected but America's response will no doubt be determined by intelligence reports. I can't see America attacking Saudi Arabia or Iran.

Most likely, the US front will be opened on a real politik front, giving semi-compliant regimes little option but to seek and eliminate Al Quaida operatives. It's the safest for the US since any futher military action will cause further reprisals, cost too much (US vote) and war is dangerous for a president when it comes to re-election.

Sand

Youre right - The Taliban/Al Quaeda won in Afghanistan.

Look at Vietnam, now look at Afghanistan. You seriously want to say the americans committed ground troops in Afghanistan relative to Vietnam? Special forces and a garrison unit arent tanks, artillery, logistical support, infantry, or armoured personnel carriers.

nitpicking.

The Saudis need the US more than the US needs them tbh. If push came to shove they could use Turkey, Israel, or even carrier based forces.

bonkey

Originally posted by Sand

The Saudis need the US more than the US needs them tbh. If push came to shove they could use Turkey, Israel, or even carrier based forces.

This is oviously why the Saudi's have asked the US to leave - because they know how much they really need the US.

Errr, what?

Saudi needs very little - it has the oil that the world wants.

Interestingly, while little press was made about it during the Afghan situation, a lot of "fringe" reporters were pointing at the state-sponsored Wahabism (sp?) emanating from Audi being a major contributor to terrorist activity in the ME.

If the US have been asked to leave Saudi, I'm curious how long the US will continue to ignore the oppressive nature of the Saudi nation as well as its almost direct ties to sponsored terrorism.

This is the only reason that the Saudi's "need" the US - its to stop them becoming US targets.

jc