20. rob:
My previous post doesn’t disagree with you. Taking the teeth out of militant Islam attacks its very idea.
30. Scott:
Genocide is NOT an acceptable option and the US doesn’t practice it (at least not since smallpox blankets were distributed).
But what does the military do? Kill people, break things, take prisoners, or threaten to do so.
Our troops have the LOAC or Law of Armed Conflict. I won’t go over it but the gist of it is protect yourselves first, shoot bad people, try not to kill people who don’t need to die, but do what you gotta do. The fact that we have and follow the LOAC makes us the most highly respected in the world.
When the baddies are off in the wilderness our troops can fight them much like they would a traditional army. However when they are hiding among a civilian population that may be somewhat hostile and coerced against cooperation by threats of violence by baddies its a whole new pie. The pretty word is law enforcement. But if you had a police force circle your neighborhood daily and kick in your door to check for baddies a few times a year. You might feel a ‘little’ oppressed. And you might be a little dissuaded to share what little information you know after you heard about the family, children and all, a block away that was murdered by baddies for being seen near a passing patrol. Oh, and your gun you might have kept for defense has been confiscated temporarily for safety reasons, not to mention the whole day you spent downtown explaining why you had it.
Law enforcement to protect civilian populations in Iraq and Afghanistan are working. Its not pleasant to police or live under, even if the harsher restrictions can be eased and incorruptible locals can take over much of the gruntwork.
