# yay, I'm happy about this \[SAS vs. ISIS\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407 "2014-11-23T16:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/21 "2014-11-25T16:49:10Z")
Is there a source for this apart from the Daily Mail? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/22 "2014-11-25T16:57:50Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Sorry, I can understand the frustration. However at least this is just small teams taking out ISIS cells and not a full scale military invasion. I can understand that you are excited about killing some of those little sh-ts, but we can’t make a full scale production out of it. …or can we…? [spoiler] **“The SCAT PATROL…!”** …a Quinn-Maarten production…[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/23 "2014-11-25T17:14:42Z")
> [@Recusant](#): > > For a long time, I was keeping a running tally of how many times the second-in-command of Al Queda was killed. I was into the double digits when it got too depressing to keep going. Killing leaders may well cripple their fighting ability, but I doubt it’ll have too tremendous an effect on their morale. > > A bigger concern to my mind is how many of the “ISIS terrorists” getting killed are just Iraqis in the wrong place at the wrong time… No matter how good your equipment and training are, sniping people at night is far from an exact science. I don’t know how the people of Iraq- regardless of their political flavor- find it in themselves to even leave the house anymore. > > But the elephant in the room here is this- why exactly are we celebrating people getting killed? Okay, sure, part of a massive international movement invading other countries and forcing radical beliefs on them; they’ve threatened to destroy us and all we hold dear, yeah. (I wonder how many middle eastern muslims felt exactly the same way about the coalition that invaded Iraq eleven years ago?) If these people have to be fought, they have to be fought, and if they must be killed, they must be killed, but happiness in response… I can’t help thinking of all the pictures of anti-American rallies I’ve seen, where angry crowds shouting in Arabic burn effigies of American soldiers and sing the praises of those who killed them. Is that really what we want to become? I never held myself up as a moral paradigm of virtue. However if groups like the SAS decimate ISIS enough that Kurds or moderate Syrian rebels can kick them out of the area more power to them. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/24 "2014-11-25T18:37:43Z")
Isn’t this article putting them at risk by revealing their tactics? Now ISIS will know to have the locals watch out for people on ATVs. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/25 "2014-11-25T18:56:57Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > People are dying! Yay, I guess? War is hell, people die. The “Yay!” in this particular scenario is, at least in part, a more direct and precise approach to how The West is doing it’s part. Blowing up a couple buildings to hit a single dude the way the US has been doing things for the last 6 or so years, with the resulting excessive property damage and collateral injuries, has arguably strengthened anti-Western opinions. And rightly so. This approach is more surgical and unintended casualties would be expected to be much lower. As much as possible, it’s a much more respectful way of conducting an invasive action. > [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > That’ll teach 'em for killing people with a different worldview. This is a stupid representation of the targets. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/26 "2014-11-25T19:03:22Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > Isn’t this article putting them at risk by revealing their tactics? Now ISIS will know to have the locals watch out for people on ATVs. “Abdul, watch out for guys on ATVs with sniper rifles who sneak in under cover of darness and park about 1000 yards away.” Yeah, that should be easy. ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/27 "2014-11-25T19:45:43Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > It we spent all the money that has been poured over the last 12 years into nonproductive wars (where are those WMDs again) in Iraq and Afghanistan instead into energy research to obtain independence from oil reserves in thr Middle East, the US and its allies would give about as much of a good whore’s fuck about what is going on in the region as it does about Indonesia. > > Stranger I don’t get why more people don’t understand this. Before oil was valuable, people in the Middle East used to wander around eating sand(hyperbole). If we, the great technological power, could render their oil worthless, why not go for it? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/28 "2014-11-25T20:19:01Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > I don’t get why more people don’t understand this. Before oil was valuable, people in the Middle East used to wander around eating sand(hyperbole). If we, the great technological power, could render their oil worthless, why not go for it? Our plan is to use up all of the oil, just like we killed off the buffalo and got rid of those other pesky nomads that were standing in our way. ☹ We don’t have a plan, that’s our problem; lack of resolve and foresight to do what’s best in the long run. So instead we lustfully celebrate the spilling of blood in the arena. Yay! So yes, I celebrate us doing something targeted to a group that is supporting and performing beheadings while making a spectacle out of it; but I’d prefer we took a longer view of things. But since that ain’t happening anytime soon then hurray for our side for striking back in an smarter way than a just another smart bomb. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/29 "2014-11-25T21:03:06Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > I don’t get why more people don’t understand this. Before oil was valuable, people in the Middle East used to wander around eating sand(hyperbole). If we, the great technological power, could render their oil worthless, why not go for it? Because that way the boys with guns wouldn’t get any new toys, and more importantly, the fat cats who profit from making those toys won’t get any new money. Plus, plenty of Western interests make money from oil, and they need their dollar fix just like any other addict. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/30 "2014-12-03T03:13:05Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > It we spent all the money that has been poured over the last 12 years into nonproductive wars (where are those WMDs again) in Iraq and Afghanistan instead into energy research to obtain independence from oil reserves in thr Middle East, the US and its allies would give about as much of a good whore’s fuck about what is going on in the region as it does about Indonesia. > > Stranger I’ve wondered about this too. A fraction of the 2-4 trillion the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan will end up costing us could’ve totally revamped our energy system. Even a small % devoted to research & subsidies could have changed transportation drastically. ISIS is now threatening to use nuclear weapons against the UK. [http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/574600/20141202/isis-nuclear-bomb-weapons-mass-destruction-london.org#.VH5-mzE6nAA](http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/574600/20141202/isis-nuclear-bomb-weapons-mass-destruction-london.org#.VH5-mzE6nAA) Anti-western muslims making threats Mindless military jingoism in the west (which I am guilty of) threats of WMD What could go wrong? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407/31 "2014-12-03T04:16:11Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > _The Rat Patrol_ was based on Tom Gries’ elevator pitch of “Robin Hood in the desert fighting Nazis.” The laughable premise–soldiers in jeeps taking down tanks with .50 BMG machine guns killing German tanks was complemented with the mishmash of ahistorical weapons, equipment, and uniforms as well as the implausible logistics and dominance of American soldiers who weren’t even present or participating in thr Long Range Desert Group, which itself mostly conducted reconnaisance patrols and intelligence gathering (and mostly against the Italian Army–their actions against thr Germans were mostly later when they shifted to the Mediterranean theatre of operations) rather than direct action of any kind, even harassment raiding. Yes, the Rat Patrol was a preposterous rip off of the LRDG. I mean, only ONE machine gun per Jeep? [Inconceivable!](http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/4a/b2/ae/4ab2ae865d09ff0bdd97f30c1d39d5d1.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yay-im-happy-about-this-sas-vs-isis/705407.md?page=1)