On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 17:33:57 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 4/6/2017 4:27 PM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 4/6/17 4:18 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 4/6/2017 4:07 PM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 4/6/17 3:57 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

Trump meeting with Xi Jinping of China to discuss North Korea among
other things.

Tillerson announces plan to form international coalition to remove
Assad from power in Syria

GOP exercises "nuclear option" to clear way for Gorsuch confirmation.

Another oh-hum day.





Wow. Well, one can hope Trump doesn't insult the Chinese leader.

As for Syria, it'll be interesting to see what Trump does with the
presence of Russian troops in Syria, the Russian planes in Syria, and
the US troops now in Syria.

Gorsuck? That was a foregone conclusion.




I thought the Dems might have had second thoughts about the nuclear
option but I guess based on their first hand experience of doing it
themselves they forged ahead with their attempt to filibuster.

I got a kick out of Lindsey Graham's comment about Syria. Asked what
he'd do he said he'd consider taking out the Syrian airfields to destroy
or ground the Syrian planes used to drop the chemicals. When asked
about Russian planes that are on the ground at the airfields he said,
"I'd tell Putin he better move them".


Yeah, the Lindsay Grahams of this world are always ready to be cavalier
with young Americans of military age.
Graham reminds me of a Dickens character...Uriah Heep...in some, but not
all, ways.


What's wrong with two or three Navy DLG's off the coast firing Tomahawks
onto the runways, fuel storage tanks, radar sites and the administrative
buildings? Like Lindsay said, we could call Putin 30 minutes before
launch and tell him he should scram his planes.


That would certainly be a test of the love affair Trump and Putin are
supposed to be having.

On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 17:35:39 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


Yup. No troops needed. Just two or three DLG's 600 miles off the coast
and a dozen or so Tomahawks.



To what end? If Assad wants to drop chem/bio agents on civilians,
helicopters, artillery or just throwing it out of the bed of a truck
wearing the proper PPE, works.
OTOH if we killed a couple of Russian maintenance techs, all hell
might break loose.

On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 18:52:12 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


Syria being an ally and client state of Russia might have something to
do it, eh?


What are they going to do, launch a nuke?

They could just put a little more pressure on the Baltic states or
turn up the fire in Ukraine. There are lots of ways they could make a
few dead Syrians look pretty unimportant.

On 4/6/2017 8:52 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 17:35:39 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


Yup. No troops needed. Just two or three DLG's 600 miles off the coast
and a dozen or so Tomahawks.



To what end? If Assad wants to drop chem/bio agents on civilians,
helicopters, artillery or just throwing it out of the bed of a truck
wearing the proper PPE, works.
OTOH if we killed a couple of Russian maintenance techs, all hell
might break loose.



I underestimated. Looks like 60 Tomahawks from two DLG's were fired.

On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 21:29:23 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 4/6/2017 8:52 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 17:35:39 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


Yup. No troops needed. Just two or three DLG's 600 miles off the coast
and a dozen or so Tomahawks.



To what end? If Assad wants to drop chem/bio agents on civilians,
helicopters, artillery or just throwing it out of the bed of a truck
wearing the proper PPE, works.
OTOH if we killed a couple of Russian maintenance techs, all hell
might break loose.



I underestimated. Looks like 60 Tomahawks from two DLG's were fired.

Yeah they are only a megabuck a pop, why cheap out?
I wonder what they hit.

Apr 6Keyser Soze
- show quoted text -
Yeah, the Lindsay Grahams of this world are always ready to be cavalier
with young Americans of military age.
Graham reminds me of a Dickens character...Uriah Heep...in some, but not
all, ways.
.....

JFK and LBJ were "Lindsay Graham's of this world?"

Btw it looks like your ol buddy Chuck Shumer is giving approval if this...

On Fri, 7 Apr 2017 09:26:24 -0400, Keyser Soze wrote:


It's possible to take down Assad, especially if the Turks, who have
overwhelming air and ground power and troops in that part of the world,
but the flip side is...what then?

===

If Assad is deposed it will create yet another power vacuum for ISIS
to occupy. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

On Fri, 07 Apr 2017 11:14:56 -0400,
wrote:

On Fri, 7 Apr 2017 09:26:24 -0400, Keyser Soze wrote:


It's possible to take down Assad, especially if the Turks, who have
overwhelming air and ground power and troops in that part of the world,
but the flip side is...what then?

===

If Assad is deposed it will create yet another power vacuum for ISIS
to occupy. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

That is true. I have a hard time thinking of a dictator we took down
in my lifetime that actually made the country better. Most immediately
had a civil war and in many cases ended up with another dictator who
was not as friendly to the US.

On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 17:33:57 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 4/6/2017 4:27 PM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 4/6/17 4:18 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 4/6/2017 4:07 PM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 4/6/17 3:57 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

Trump meeting with Xi Jinping of China to discuss North Korea among
other things.

Tillerson announces plan to form international coalition to remove
Assad from power in Syria

GOP exercises "nuclear option" to clear way for Gorsuch confirmation.

Another oh-hum day.





Wow. Well, one can hope Trump doesn't insult the Chinese leader.

As for Syria, it'll be interesting to see what Trump does with the
presence of Russian troops in Syria, the Russian planes in Syria, and
the US troops now in Syria.

Gorsuck? That was a foregone conclusion.




I thought the Dems might have had second thoughts about the nuclear
option but I guess based on their first hand experience of doing it
themselves they forged ahead with their attempt to filibuster.

I got a kick out of Lindsey Graham's comment about Syria. Asked what
he'd do he said he'd consider taking out the Syrian airfields to destroy
or ground the Syrian planes used to drop the chemicals. When asked
about Russian planes that are on the ground at the airfields he said,
"I'd tell Putin he better move them".


Yeah, the Lindsay Grahams of this world are always ready to be cavalier
with young Americans of military age.
Graham reminds me of a Dickens character...Uriah Heep...in some, but not
all, ways.


What's wrong with two or three Navy DLG's off the coast firing Tomahawks
onto the runways, fuel storage tanks, radar sites and the administrative
buildings? Like Lindsay said, we could call Putin 30 minutes before
launch and tell him he should scram his planes.


Yup. Pretty safe venture.

On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 21:29:23 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 4/6/2017 8:52 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 6 Apr 2017 17:35:39 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


Yup. No troops needed. Just two or three DLG's 600 miles off the coast
and a dozen or so Tomahawks.



To what end? If Assad wants to drop chem/bio agents on civilians,
helicopters, artillery or just throwing it out of the bed of a truck
wearing the proper PPE, works.
OTOH if we killed a couple of Russian maintenance techs, all hell
might break loose.



I underestimated. Looks like 60 Tomahawks from two DLG's were fired.

Great minds think alike!