# If you were the commander of an army, how would you fight the IS?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-the-commander-of-an-army-how-would-you-fight-the-is/714744>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 11, 2015, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-the-commander-of-an-army-how-would-you-fight-the-is/714744 "2015-03-11T08:24:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 4

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-the-commander-of-an-army-how-would-you-fight-the-is/714744/61 "2015-03-17T17:00:14Z")

</div>

Perhaps if we built a giant wooden badger…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-the-commander-of-an-army-how-would-you-fight-the-is/714744/62 "2015-03-17T18:06:05Z")

</div>

> [@Sailboat](#):
>
> Perhaps if we built a giant wooden badger…

…we could get [Iran](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2586771/Iran-builds-life-size-replica-nuclear-powered-U-S-Nimitz-class-aircraft-carrier-blown-up.html) to blow it up? Or were you thinking they might know a good contractor for building it?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-the-commander-of-an-army-how-would-you-fight-the-is/714744/63 "2015-03-18T19:25:26Z")

</div>

> [@AK84](#):
>
> Use of latin is extremely unfortunate, as the Romans spent 8 centuries trying and failing to conquer this area.

Rome ruled Syria for more than 400 years.

> [@AK84](#):
>
> How well did they did in Mesopotamia? They captured Ctesiphon what, five times? Carted off and sold most of the population into slavery. Damn near bankrupted their empire as well while doing it. During their last war, they burnt down Nivenah (the same city everyone is crying about ISIS destroying).
> 
> Fat lot of good it did them.

The fact that Romans fought Parthians and later Sassanids over the right to rule Mesopotamia is a pretty good example that the area is far from unconquerable.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![The\_Sheikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Sheikh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Sheikh)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-the-commander-of-an-army-how-would-you-fight-the-is/714744/64 "2015-03-18T21:56:57Z")

</div>

Keeping in mind that knives have a short range compared to missiles, I would wait to see if their knives could evolve to reach my army. If I want to get offensive, I would invade [Canada](http://www.globalresearch.ca/canada-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-role-of-canadian-embassy-in-jordan-in-isis-recruitment/5436660).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-the-commander-of-an-army-how-would-you-fight-the-is/714744/65 "2015-03-19T07:31:55Z")

</div>

> [@The\_Sheikh](#):
>
> Keeping in mind that knives have a short range compared to missiles, I would wait to see if their knives could evolve to reach my army.

What’s the joke here?

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-the-commander-of-an-army-how-would-you-fight-the-is/714744.md?page=3)