# We are currently bombing Syria. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 23, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292 "2014-09-23T02:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/41 "2014-09-23T19:00:35Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > They probably just wandered off course - by the time the missile hit, they were already back over Syria. But Israel can’t afford to take any chances. When I heard that on the news this morning, I wondered if you guys try to call the guy and warn him that he is violating your airspace, or if the possibility that he is about to kill or injure some of your citizens gets him shot down very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/42 "2014-09-23T20:18:42Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Quite interesting that Sunni Countries are in this coalition against ISIS. > > [http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/23/world/meast/isis-airstrikes/index.html?hpt=hp\_t1](http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/23/world/meast/isis-airstrikes/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) Aren’t Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Qatar all places with really really strong economies and economic ties to the West? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/43 "2014-09-23T20:22:06Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > How’s this: slowly and gradually improve the local infrastructures (physical, medical, educational, etc.) while refraining from pushing them towards democracy or particular leaders. Increase cultural exchange programs so that they get to know us and we them. Just give, without asking anything in return. Do that for ten years and I suspect much of the hatred of America will evaporate. > > Israel is a backnote in all of this, of course, but I can’t solve all of our problems with one easy ten-year-long never-going-to-happen solution. Bullets and bombs win battles, culture wins wars. When we really learn that lesson and learn to apply it, we’ll win the war. Everything else that happens is just battles for limited gains and losses. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/44 "2014-09-23T21:38:36Z")
Well at least Assad and the Iranians must be pleased the US is bombing their enemies for them. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/45 "2014-09-23T22:39:25Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > When I heard that on the news this morning, I wondered if you guys try to call the guy and warn him that he is violating your airspace, or if the possibility that he is about to kill or injure some of your citizens gets him shot down very quickly. First of all, you have to remember that Israel doesn’t have much of what you’d call strategic depth. A couple of minutes of flight time can get a fighter jet within range of any number of military bases or worse, civilian population centers. Second of all, there have been a number of incidents on the Golan in recent months, with soldiers (and I think even civilians) wounded by shells and gunfire from over the border. I wouldn’t be surprised if the forces there were under orders to shoot first and ask questions later. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/46 "2014-09-23T23:43:32Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Bullets and bombs win battles, culture wins wars. When we really learn that lesson and learn to apply it, we’ll win the war. Everything else that happens is just battles for limited gains and losses. Technically, if you kill everyone with a culture you disagree with, that fixes the culture issue. The only question is whether that leaves anyone. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/47 "2014-09-24T00:24:38Z")
Bullets and bombs win wars. What, did the South just decide in 1865 that maybe slavery was a bad idea after all? Did the North win their hearts and minds? I guess if you’re committed to only using limited force, sure you can’t win with bullets and bombs. Tie the military’s hands and of course they won’t win the war for you. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/48 "2014-09-24T00:48:29Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > First of all, you have to remember that Israel doesn’t have much of what you’d call strategic depth. A couple of minutes of flight time can get a fighter jet within range of any number of military bases or worse, civilian population centers. > > Second of all, there have been a number of incidents on the Golan in recent months, with soldiers (and I think even civilians) wounded by shells and gunfire from over the border. I wouldn’t be surprised if the forces there were under orders to shoot first and ask questions later. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/49 "2014-09-24T00:49:32Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Bullets and bombs win wars. What, did the South just decide in 1865 that maybe slavery was a bad idea after all? Did the North win their hearts and minds? We got hungry. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/50 "2014-09-24T00:52:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Quite interesting that Sunni Countries are in this coalition against ISIS. > > [http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/23/world/meast/isis-airstrikes/index.html?hpt=hp\_t1](http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/23/world/meast/isis-airstrikes/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) God this is just as exciting as 2003 when we had that huge f’ing coalition to invade Iraq. That was some really interesting shit. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/51 "2014-09-24T00:52:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I guess if you’re committed to only using limited force, sure you can’t win with bullets and bombs. Tie the military’s hands and of course they won’t win the war for you. This is another worrisome statement since this is being promoted to the public as a limited campaign. That’s part of its appeal, as it were. I guess we’d better hope it stays limited, because if that effort isn’t sufficient we can expect to hear “you’re trying the military’s hands, let them do their job!” ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/52 "2014-09-24T01:26:16Z")
So, what will United States do when ISIS/ISIL/Khorasan start placing their operations in schools/hospitals/mosques/apartment buildings? Or, not even that, just grabbing a few hundred civilians and placing them in/around their bases? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/53 "2014-09-24T01:36:21Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > So, what will United States do when ISIS/ISIL/Khorasan start placing their operations in schools/hospitals/mosques/apartment buildings? Or, not even that, just grabbing a few hundred civilians and placing them in/around their bases? Party like it’s 2003. We’ll bomb a school every day and the headline will be “US takes out ISIS second in command”. Surely your memory isn’t that short. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/54 "2014-09-24T01:44:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Bullets and bombs win wars. What, did the South just decide in 1865 that maybe slavery was a bad idea after all? Did the North win their hearts and minds? And that’s why there is absolutely no cultural tension between North and South to this day. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/55 "2014-09-24T15:06:38Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > This is another worrisome statement since this is being promoted to the public as a limited campaign. That’s part of its appeal, as it were. I guess we’d better hope it stays limited, because if that effort isn’t sufficient we can expect to hear “you’re trying the military’s hands, let them do their job!” It’ll be limited to a great extent because we’re not at war with a state. Beating ISIL doesn’t take total warfare. But it may take ground troops. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/56 "2014-09-24T15:08:23Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > And that’s why there is absolutely no cultural tension between North and South to this day. It doesn’t really matter. If we define victory as making the other side like us then we’ll never win a war, ever. You have to define the mission so that it’s achievable. I don’t have a problem with efforts to win hearts and minds. We tried that even in WWII. But it can’t be the mission itself, because it’s beyond our control. You can only define a mission based on what we can control. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/57 "2014-09-24T15:25:15Z")
This type of bombing has rapidly diminishing returns. ISIS will quickly setup operations in crowded neighborhoods and next to Mosques. Places we can’t bomb without massive outcry over the civilian damage. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/58 "2014-09-24T15:30:46Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > So, what will United States do when ISIS/ISIL/Khorasan start placing their operations in schools/hospitals/mosques/apartment buildings? Or, not even that, just grabbing a few hundred civilians and placing them in/around their bases? Reports indicate they’ve already began to disperse into the general population. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/59 "2014-09-24T15:33:24Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > It’ll be limited to a great extent because we’re not at war with a state. Beating ISIL doesn’t take total warfare. But it may take ground troops. In other words the fighting will definitely be limited, but the meaning of “limited” may change. As much as most of us would like to see ISIS eliminated, it’s hard to trust that this will really be limited based on experience and the fact that we’re already hearing about potential ground troops and attacks on a group that is not ISIS. Like I said, here’s hoping for the best. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292/60 "2014-09-24T15:59:46Z")
In all the various ways in which the US failed to form an effective Iraqi or Afghan army to allow the respective countries to defend themselves, does this surprising coalition of 5 regional nations seem like this is finally the opportunity the US has been waiting 12 long years for; a way to galvanize the region so they finally are able to collaborate in a way never seen before? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-currently-bombing-syria/699292.md?page=4)