desertbadger wrote:A while back, I read a very interesting article regarding terrorists. It was right before or shortly after WWI in Borneo or some other such place, I can’t remember. Army Major Pershing, who later became a General, had his men round up the Muslim trouble makers who totaled 50. They shot and killed 49 of them and buried each with a dead pig. They set free the 50th so he would spread the word as to how the situation was handled. It must have worked, because this area did not have any further terrorist problems for 3 generations.
DEF wrote:IMHO, critics who didn't believe the administration's report wouldn't believe the administration's photos, either, while the al Qaeda types would then have an image of martyrdom for their propaganda. About the only thing that leaves is a prurient interest in the images, to which we need not pander.
My sentiments exactly. It happened. They didn't need you and me to get it done, and they're not sitting around hoping you and I will look at a picture and carefully grant an official stamp of verification before anything else important happens. I'm just amazed that somebody generated enough guts to allow it to happen. There are presidents still living who would have said, oh no, don't use force and violence, stand down and negotiate.
Gary
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In November I read the second Quiller book, The Ninth Directive. All this reminds me of 60s spy and assassination stories.
In my memory of about 55 years, the president who was the most presidential in my mind was Dwight Eisenhower. I don't think that he would have had any reluctance to give the order.
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Agreed that Ike would have given the order, but the operation would have been covert. He wouldn't have gone on TV just before midnight to trumpet his accomplishment. Ike was more "no drama" than Obama.
Eisenhower's star is steadily rising amongst presidential historians. There are a couple of pretty substantial knocks against him that will keep him from the top tier, but his farewell speech continues to amaze. He did epitomize "Commander-in-Chief."*
*I don't recall who said it, but someone once observed the only title more imposing than that of President of the United States, was Supreme Allied Commander (Expeditionary Force and NATO Forces). Quite an achievement to have held all of them.
95% wrote:Agreed that Ike would have given the order, but the operation would have been covert. He wouldn't have gone on TV just before midnight to trumpet his accomplishment. Ike was more "no drama" than Obama.
Then again, neither Ike nor Obama "landed" a fighter on a carrier deck festooned with a "Mission Accomplished" banner.
