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You'd figure a guy named O bomb A would be the guy to drop a bomb.
This bomb was never used anywhere, ever.
Supposedly where the green beret was killed last week.
On an ISIS stronghold.
Should make the other terrorist nations re-evaluate their strategy.
This one has never been deployed before aye? Interesting. I know we used the Daisy Cutter in Desert storm. It's similar but I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that it only goes 13000#. I remember a big deal was made about hitting the Republican Guard with FAE (fuel air explosive) in DS as well. FAE was touted as being just a step under dropping a tac nuke. It's a bad news bear. But it's a thermal rather than explosive yield weapon. Still, huge effective kill radius and caves and tunnels are no protection because it sucks all the air out of everything inside it's box. Above or below ground. Comes down on a chute and detonates above the target. Just like a nuke.
Imperialism doesn't work that way. Our intelligence community doesn't want a unified Middle East such as what occurred under the Caliphates of the Ottoman's, Mamluks and their predecessors...1.6 Billion Muslims united under one flag with the vast majority of the world's oil and natural gas resources is a scary thought to them.
Therefore keep them divided, insight sectarianism and deal with the terrorist groups and attacks as they come. In their eyes terrorism is a small price to pay for their greater objective and gives them a great platform to continue meddling in the region.
May be true our intelligence community doesn't want a unified Middle East, but hopefully not all American foreign policy is the result of what the IC wants. Stands to reason that western interests also doesn't want a unified Middle East. Though the west can be blamed for much of what occurred post-WWII, including Zionism/Israel, given what I know about the history of the Middle East, the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds have been going at it since well before America was born...
Accordingly, the degree to which we can take credit, be blamed, benefit or not from the sectarian fighting in the ME is difficult to measure as compared to how the region would be unified (or not) if not for western influences. IOWs, I'm not sure we are the reason 1.6 billion Muslims are not united under one flag, and/or I'm not sure that will ever be possible. A reality that perhaps we exploit, or so it sure appears.
May be true our intelligence community doesn't want a unified Middle East, but hopefully not all American foreign policy is the result of what the IC wants. Stands to reason that western interests also doesn't want a unified Middle East. Though the west can be blamed for much of what occurred post-WWII, including Zionism/Israel, given what I know about the history of the Middle East, the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds have been going at it since well before America was born...
Accordingly, the degree to which we can take credit, be blamed, benefit or not from the sectarian fighting in the ME is difficult to measure as compared to how the region would be unified (or not) if not for western influences. IOWs, I'm not sure we are the reason 1.6 billion Muslims are not united under one flag, and/or I'm not sure that will ever be possible. A reality that perhaps we exploit, or so it sure appears.
I don't disagree with your latter point. Persians, Turks and Arabs have had civilization clashes that *predate* Islam. Before Islam came, the regional rivalry was between the Byzantine Christian Romans (based out of modern day Istanbul) and Zorastrian Persians (based out of modern day Iran). These regional rivalries are naturally occurring based on the geography of the land.
However to your other point, our Government and other westerners intentionally stroke the flames of nationalism, sectarianism and ethno-centric ideology to divide and rule. Kurds and Arabs quietly had some element of disdain for Ottoman rule based on ethnic tensions but for the most part they set that aside in the name of Musim unity and the fact that they would get crushed in a rebellion. However when Lawrence and the British came in to arm them, as welll as promise them Palestine and the entire Arabian peninsula (lies by the way), they took the bait and helped to destroy the Caliphate.
Not to get in to too much of a diatribe but that very action had devastating consequences on the region. Namely with the dissolution of the Caliphate came the come dissolution of centralized religious authority, which frankly is needed in Islam at least on a local level.
I don't disagree with your latter point. Persians, Turks and Arabs have had civilization clashes that *predate* Islam. Before Islam came, the regional rivalry was between the Byzantine Christian Romans (based out of modern day Istanbul) and Zorastrian Persians (based out of modern day Iran). These regional rivalries are naturally occurring based on the geography of the land.
However to your other point, our Government and other westerners intentionally stroke the flames of nationalism, sectarianism and ethno-centric ideology to divide and rule. Kurds and Arabs quietly had some element of disdain for Ottoman rule based on ethnic tensions but for the most part they set that aside in the name of Musim unity and the fact that they would get crushed in a rebellion. However when Lawrence and the British came in to arm them, as welll as promise them Palestine and the entire Arabian peninsula (lies by the way), they took the bait and helped to destroy the Caliphate.
Not to get in to too much of a diatribe but that very action had devastating consequences on the region. Namely with the dissolution of the Caliphate came the come dissolution of centralized religious authority, which frankly is needed in Islam at least on a local level.
Last statement in bold reminds me of a similar conclusion made in a book I have recommended before, by Robin Wright, "Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East." Perhaps more an explanation about why Allah is so important to the people in the ME and/or why secular government is near impossible.
It is easier to recognize and understand the reasons for all the problems in the ME going back centuries, largely due to violence born of ignorance that perpetually creates more violence and ignorance, now too exploited by more advanced western interests. Circumstances not likely to change anytime soon.
Perhaps simply academic all considered. Too much heavily vested "strategic" interests in the oil and weapons industries to allow for much hope of peace rather than more war, but the question remains. What better foreign policy can America pursue that bears better results for all concerned, most certainly including future generations.
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