Is our military the right tool for fighting terrorism?

Question

I'm not talking about Iraq at the moment.. but terrorism in general... our military is VERY effective at large scale combat.. but they are not, in my opinion, set up or trained for small scale terrorist attacks and gorilla warfare. it's like trying to do microsurgery with a broadsword. what are your thought on the subject?

Answer 1

You are correct. Our military is good for strikes against military targets but we need smaller, more agile units to go after terrorists.

There is a push to expand the size and use of Special Operations soldiers.

Answer 2

I think with the training they are receiving now days, they are very capable. Look in to what the Marines are doing at 29 Palms, and the Army at Ft. Bliss in El Paso Texas. they are being trained to fight small scale gorilla type warfare. Gone are the days of carpet bombing and Shock and Awe. Don't get me wrong if we have to take down a large military force we can, i.e. Iraq's Army went down fast. The problem is you don't think we are stopping these small groups quick enough. We are also training a new army at the same time. It's not like we are actually fighting these small terror groups, we are playing a back up and training role at the moment.

Answer 3

You are entirely correct. Granted--in situations like the original invasion of Afghanistan, military force can be useful in dislodging a well-armed terrorist group.

But the way to compat terrorism is through a combination of law enforcement (remember, these animals are criminals, not a nation-state--and economic investment. The latter is the only real long-term solution. Terrorism finds its breeding grounds among populations that are oppressed and poverty-stricken. Move in with economic development and investment--investment to better the lives of ordinary people, not pay-offs to rich elites--and you take away the desperation and hopeleness that make societies vulnerable to the propaganda of terrorists.

As a caase in point--look at Lebanon. Following the Israeli pullout in 2000 the people of southrn Lebanon were essentially abandoned. No Western power bothereed to move in with economic investment, with schools, health care, or anything else tohelp these people to rebuild. So Hezbollah moved in, making a show of "concern" with a few health clinics and some "humanitarian" aid. And to make matters ten times worse, when Israel moved in (granted with legitimate cause to go after the terrorists) instead of targeting the terrorists they chose a schorched-earth policy that left a thousand Lebanese dead and half a million forced out of their homes. And when they could return, they found what little infrastructure they'd had destroyed. But has Israel or any one else moved in this time to help? No. So now Hezbollah is more firmly dug in, more popular than ever--and may well come to power in Lebanon. Why? Because--from the experience of theLebanese people, they can only conclude that the terrorists are treating them more humanely than the West and Israel.

With different scenarios, essentially the same story is/has played out in Darfur, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, etc.

Answer 4

PIP - You are looking at one tool(Our Military) in the terrorism fight. I feel that tool is effective and getting even more effective. (What's the best training arena? Just getting in there and start the job whatever the job may be.)

The other tools are - finding and closing down bank accounts of terrorists organizations.

Infiltration - with spies into their organizations (This to me is the scariest job of all, but extremely necessary.)

And the hardest thing we are trying to do is to change their mindset. (Not an easy task while there is still fighting going on in Iraq.)

Edit: Someone said something about education - Well these terrorist cells are educating their children to hate the Western Civilization (Basically anyone who doesn't believe the way they believe). And to convert under force or kill anyone unwilling to convert. Also these cells are everywhere, so even in places where the kids go to school in diversified schools throughout the World, these kids are taught by their parents to be two-faced and to hate their fellow students, because they don't believe in Islam.

So it is going to take way more then education alone.

Answer 5

The military is a reasonable tool for certain parts of the war on terrorism. Air strikes on a terrorist training camp? Call in the military. A commando raid on another facility or to rescue hostages? Call in the military.

The question really depends more on whether or not the proposed mission or tactic helps with the war on terror. Invading Afghanistan? Yes, I think it does. Invading Iraq? Not so much.

Answer 6

whilst 911 surpassed off i assumed the president would waste no time in allying with all the different countries, Muslim ones in specific which additionally are against terrorism. at that factor the entire international became into mourning with us. the quest for Bin encumbered became into made right into a shaggy dog tale, they declare to renowned the place he's and GW himself suggested they don't likely care too lots approximately finding him. We outfitted a coalition of small countries that owe us and compelled them to connect us, nonetheless they don't have lots to loose. The Geneva convention's international rules have been progressed in a huge section by using the US yet each and every of the unexpected they are not substantial anymore, that became into an extremely undesirable message to deliver the the remainder of the international. at last they'll ought to appreciate that international kinfolk desires to play a much bigger component of this image, they'd desire to be realising presently that they are in a position to't win this war on my own and realistically start up finding at what triumphing or loosing is even going to look like.

Answer 7

I don't know that there is a "right tool" anymore. These radical muslims are out of control! How does the military fight against freaks that will sacrifice their own children?? Seriously, we need to find a way to get these terrorist groups to congregate in one area, some kind of "Terrorists Unite" event, and just drop a bomb on the whole thing!

Answer 8

Yes. The military has a variety of skills and is well-equipped to handle the entire spectrum of warfare. Current ROE limits their effectivity --- often times justifiably so.

The alternatives to the use of the military are ineffectual (e.g. negotiations, courts, police) when faced with goals, strategies, and tactics used by terrorists.

Defeating terrorism will be like defeating cancer --- it will be a long and painful process, and not all battles will be won.

Answer 9

No. I'm sorry but you don't fight terrorism with worse terrorism. Arabs are human beings too, and they don't deserve to have their countries devastated by the most advanced military in the world. Under the circumstances, I think the resistance fighters in Iraq are entirely justified in fighting the US presence. We would do the same were it our country.

Answer 10

Yes, they are, especially in working with the local friendlies, see the model in Afghanistan. Maybe not large deployments that leave a "large footprint", but special forces have been doing very well in small deployments. There are 4 other military deployments currently fighting terror, yet nary a word of them:

Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines (OEF-P) Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA)
Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara (OEF-TS)[2]
Operation Enduring Freedom - Pankisi Gorge