US troops kill number 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq... again

[Ryan Industries]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081015/..._mi_ea/ml_iraq

In interesting turn of events, I doubt it will have many lasting effects besides a temperory lull in the violance while they struggle to find another frothing extremist to take his place.

Your thoughts?

[Mithie]

The problem with killing number XX in the chain of command is that a few days later, a bunch of people gets promoted and you have a new number XX who will try harder than his predecessor not to get caught.

[mrmouth]

The problem with killing number XX in the chain of command is that a few days later, a bunch of people gets promoted and you have a new number XX who will try harder than his predecessor not to get caught.

There is no rule saying that his predecessor is somehow more capable. Often, they are not.

The simple fact is you remove a person who had a way of doing things. The chain is broken if but for a short time.

That is when you ultimately see the most success. People tend to panic, or simply do things in a manner that is a sure red flag to the men who are tracking these guys.

[Aziel]

Maybe Osama is simply dead.

[Samuel Adams]

Maybe Osama is simply dead.

Silence, mate... if he was dead, or people knew he was dead, or people thought he was dead, we could start to wind down the war on terror, and then who would the leadership of the western world use to make us nothing but cowering minions who would give everything just so they could go to the grocery store without worrying about a 'terrorist?'

[alhoon]

Even if he's dead, he's one man. If the USA doesn't catch him and he just dies a natural death many, many of his followers will feel like he's a saint or something for killing thousands of innocent people.

[Ryan Industries]

Even if he's dead, he's one man. If the USA doesn't catch him and he just dies a natural death many, many of his followers will feel like he's a saint or something for killing thousands of innocent people.

heh they allready think that, now we just need to make him a martyr. Honestly short of nuking the middle east to hell there isnt much we can do to defeat these terrorist organizations, short of the entire world uniting against them. And we all know thats not going to happen

Silence, mate... if he was dead, or people knew he was dead, or people thought he was dead, we could start to wind down the war on terror, and then who would the leadership of the western world use to make us nothing but cowering minions who would give everything just so they could go to the grocery store without worrying about a 'terrorist?'

Fear tactics and propaganda FTW

[Vladimir Lenin]

Also if Osama was dead, some local militia would be dragging his dead ass back to go collect a HUGE reward.

[Ryan Industries]

Also if Osama was dead, some local militia would be dragging his dead ass back to go collect a HUGE reward.

Heh chances are they'd use it to get the out of Iraq/afghanistan/the middle east in general....

[Strattios]

Even if Osama or any of the leaders of these terrorist groups die, it won't stop the violence. You have to change the ideology of the people before anything else changes and that is one of the biggest reasons for the West being over there. To help them move past this violent tribal way of thinking. In some areas it's working and in other areas it isn't.

[Mithie]

Even if Osama or any of the leaders of these terrorist groups die, it won't stop the violence. You have to change the ideology of the people before anything else changes and that is one of the biggest reasons for the West being over there. To help them move past this violent tribal way of thinking. In some areas it's working and in other areas it isn't.

Well - if that truly were the goal of the Iraqi incusion, then may I strongly suggest to our brilliant military strategists currently stationed over there NOT to indiscriminately blow up cultural symbols and humanity heritages like the city of Babylon?

[Aziel]

Also if Osama was dead, some local militia would be dragging his dead ass back to go collect a HUGE reward.

When was the last time we saw Osama on a tape? When was the last time we saw his second in-chief on a tape? AQ wants to demonstrate power, you do that with proving the strongest country in the world simply can't kill your leader.

[Mithie]

I've heard arguments from the fount of idiocy that is the mouth of Robert Gates saying that killing Osama might cause adverse reactions like making the man into a martyr, inciting further unrest among the ranks of the enemy.

Excuse me Mr. Gates, but how is unrest among the ranks of the enemy a bad thing again? Sure, he might be a martyr, but his death would also cause a power vacuum that has the potential to make the enemy IMPLODE.

[Ryan Industries]

I've heard arguments from the fount of idiocy that is the mouth of Robert Gates saying that killing Osama might cause adverse reactions like making the man into a martyr, inciting further unrest among the ranks of the enemy.

Excuse me Mr. Gates, but how is unrest among the ranks of the enemy a bad thing again? Sure, he might be a martyr, but his death would also cause a power vacuum that has the potential to make the enemy IMPLODE.

All I can see happening is either someone steps up and takes over Osama's position and things carry on...

UNLESS we manage to take out Osama, his second, third and maybe fourth. Then chances are they might fall in on themselves.... Heres to hoping

[fieldmarshal]

This is a good thing, but in no way changes anything in the larger context. The number three guy is now the new number two, and the cycle continues.

[eizo]

wow it probably took them like 10 minutes to finish their coffee and choose a new leader ...great job one down still 20 million to go,they are gona crack anytime now ...
The thing i don't get is are US commanders that stupid to think that actually something changed now,i mean do they think this is gona make them think "wow we should stop fighting" come on these people are fighting for their homeland,they are willing to come to a enemy soldier and activate bomb attached to them come on

[Ryan Industries]

wow it probably took them like 10 minutes to finish their coffee and choose a new leader ...great job one down still 20 million to go,they are gona crack anytime now ...
The thing i don't get is are US commanders that stupid to think that actually something changed now,i mean do they think this is gona make them think "wow we should stop fighting" come on these people are fighting for their homeland,they are willing to come to a enemy soldier and activate bomb attached to them come on

I think they're hoping that with each higher up dead that the leadership will take another ratchet down. At least thats what I would be thinking if I was said US generals.

[Thanatos]

You can kill people all you want, but until you can change the ideas prevalent in the area, it's an impossible war to win.

[Heinz Guderian]

You can kill people all you want, but until you can change the ideas prevalent in the area, it's an impossible war to win.

QFT from my esse. Thanny says "no hablo" alot but when he speaks, he's with truth.

[motiv-8]

You can kill people all you want, but until you can change the ideas prevalent in the area, it's an impossible war to win.

What ideas, and what prevalence? When we're talking about al-Qaeda we're talking about a)mostly non-Iraqis and b)a hugely minimal ideology.

The thing i don't get is are US commanders that stupid to think that actually something changed now,i mean do they think this is gona make them think "wow we should stop fighting" come on these people are fighting for their homeland,

Al-Qaeda in Iraq represents neither Iraq nor the wishes of its people. The major victims of al-Qaeda there are Iraqis.