[Kagami]

Well after sittin back and thinking on other world issues. Well besides Iraq at least. It only makes me wonder, will we really have to step up and take on North Korea. Also will we end up in Syria? I'm particularly interested more with North Korea seeing being that they really don't just don't like US period...

[linskyjack]

We are not in a position to take on NK (unless we want to use air and missile strikes) or Syria (I assume to persue terrorists). Our recruiting numbers are so slow that it is becoming critical. The Army for instance only met 42% of the recruiting goals last month. Thats why they are offerring 15 month hitches with the rest of the time served in the Guard (although people are smart enough to know that if you are in the Guard, there is a good chance that you will end up in Iraq. This is the beginning of the end of the Bush war----because people who are desperate for work, training, an education etc, (the backbone of the volunteer Army) are beginning to see that the risks out weigh the advantages.

[Kagami]

Actually not only the Gaurdsmen but reservists as well I know cuz I'm going this december. Also Air force reservists are going too. Still in the end I hope lame duck bush doesn't pull a draft cuz thats just gonna be ugly.

[linskyjack]

Well, if recruitment continues at this rate, he might have to--it would mean the end of him and the end of the war---People won't put up with it. What is now a distant news story will become very real to many Americans.

[LANMaster]

Syria Stops "Cooperating"

When the representative of a Ba’athist dictator wants to make an announcement, where else would he go but to the New York Times? Syria Stops Cooperating With U.S. Forces and CIA.

WASHINGTON, May 23 - Syria has halted military and intelligence cooperation with the United States, its ambassador to Washington said in an interview, in a sign of growing strains between the two nations over the insurgency in Iraq.

The ambassador, Imad Moustapha, said in the interview on Friday at the Syrian Embassy here that his country had, in the last 10 days, “severed all links” with the United States military and Central Intelligence Agency because of what he called unjust American allegations. The Bush administration has complained bitterly that Syria is not doing enough to halt the flow of men and money to the insurgency in Iraq.

Mr. Moustapha said he believed that the Bush administration had decided “to escalate the situation with Syria” despite steps the Syrians have taken against the insurgents in Iraq, and despite the withdrawal in recent weeks of Syrian troops from Lebanon, in response to international demands.

He said American complaints had been renewed since February, when a half-brother of Saddam Hussein, who was once the widely feared head of Iraq’s two most powerful security agencies, was handed over to the Iraqi authorities after being captured in Syria along with several lieutenants. The renewal of complaints caused Syria to abandon the idea of providing further help, he said.

“We thought, why should we continue to cooperate?” he said.

Saddam’s brother-in-law must have given some interesting information to the Iraqi authorities.

[SlackAli]

I suspect neither will suffer an attack in the near future, for the reasons that linskyjack states. If I had to bet the house on one though, it would be Syria, as the US can pursue its usual policy of the high-altitude bombing of desert-based targets with only expressions of resigned despair from most of the world.They can hardly upset the Islamic world much more.

An attack on North Korea would provoke consequences which must make even the limited imaginations of the Washingtpon neo-cons scared.

Pretty sure that any further adventures would have to be done by the US alone without even the ragged coalition of the unwilling that exists in Iraq.

[Wino]

Originally Posted by LANMaster

Syria Stops "Cooperating"

When the representative of a Ba?athist dictator wants to make an announcement, where else would he go but to the New York Times? Syria Stops Cooperating With U.S. Forces and CIA.



Saddam?s brother-in-law must have given some interesting information to the Iraqi authorities.

Hope it's better intel than they got from the Iraqi exiles............or at least has a shred of validity.