You can thank Ceaderford in part and probably a degree of overall collective outrage in general about Olmert’s spineless release of Kuntar in trade for a couple more Israeli corpses. Few greater moral and propaganda victories could have been delivered to Hezbollah gift-wrapped on a silver platter like the release of Kuntar.

Grumpy, I disagree. The Afghans require a lot of patience and the minimalization of foreign forces as soon as feasible, but not their removal. The biggest fear of the Afghans that I worked with was that we would Viet Nam them and leave in the middle of it before they had a chance to really establish the rule of law.

Afghans are not some bizarre incomprehensible creatures. They have a certain history, and an innate distrust of the intentions of foreigners, but they can see helpfulness and respect and be swayed by it, just like anyone else.

Here’s a kick in the pants; the Mongolians are helping to train the Afghan artillerymen on the D-30 guns. Whoda thunk that the descendants of Genghis Khan would ever we welcomed back with open arms?

I’ve seen COIN work on the ground in Afghanistan. Afghans require patience, but they are not incorrigible.

In light of how the coming decades of war with Islam will only be foreshortened by complete nuclear annihilation of the MME (Muslim Middle East), “more wars” seems to fill the bill. Any candidate who is not serious about snapping Islam’s spine like a dry twig has no place in the White House.

Old Blue: BTW, Kuntar did not (wasn’t convicted of) smashing any little girls’ heads. He smashed in a little boys’ head.

You’re off your normally decent stride, Old Blue.

As police began to arrive, the terrorists took Danny and Einat down to the beach. There, according to eyewitnesses, one of them shot Danny in front of Einat so that his death would be the last sight she would ever see. Then he smashed my little girl’s skull in against a rock with his rifle butt. That terrorist was Samir Kuntar.

When the cell, retreating as security forces pursued them, found the rubber boat they’d arrived in disabled by gunfire, one of the members shot Smadar’s husband Danny in the back and drowned him in the sea to ensure he was dead. Next, he smashed little Einat’s head on beach rocks and crushed her skull with the butt of his rifle.

Smadar Haran-Kaiser was in that building, with her husband and daughters, aged 5 and 2. As Kuntar raged through the building, searching for people to be kidnapped for use as exchange for Lebanese prisoners, Haran-Kaiser hid in a crawl space with her 2-year-old. Her husband and older daughter tried to flee. Israeli reports indicate Kuntar shot the husband in the head and smashed the girl’s skull.

Kuntar shot Danny Haran at close-range and threw his body into the sea to make sure he died. He then bashed Einat’s head on rocks and with butt of his rifle, killing her instantly.

I don’t know if the Pacific war was informed by the European Theater but perhaps the struggle in Palestine might be structured by tactical approaches improvised in the Mountains of Afghanistan or the alleys of Peoria… Just a thought, I know it isn’t fair. But how is Barak supposed to compete unless certain debate items are…, you know…, Quashed? You are certainly right about that NAZI.

But IMO, you should save the sarcasm for more appropriate target. As is the frustration of every former member of the military, democratic government is a rather messy affair.

Can’t see how you can feel I was attempting to “poo-poo” McCain’s experience. Since half of any communication is in the perception of the recipient I’ took a closer look at my piece but I still don’t see anything in your position I disagree with and do not see why my overview of comparative background influences would merit your disagreement. A larger comparative study of prior experience to see what makes for a more successful presidency would be an interesting study…

It was the idea that running a squadron was just “government” experience. The nature and experience associated with daily operation of a military post, while GI at heart, certainly presents problems that are more like operating a business or city government. And it isn’t only McCain’s experience. There are a lot of young officers today that are getting a healthy dose of civil administration and practical problem solving in areas many large company CEO’s and most of our state and local executives do not come close to appreciating. Not a disagreement, so much as a point of information.

The other guy proved his dislike for his country and fidelity to international marxism by sitting in my church for 20 years while I said “God-damn Amerikka” and “the CIA invented AIDS to kill black people” and “America needs to be punished for Hiroshima”.

So we should look forward to one of our cities being nuked by a renewed islamic terrorist organization while Obambi “learns the ropes”. Wow, what a statement. Maybe McCain can use this as an ad.