Iraq and ISIS Discussion

[Il Duce]

Anne Lamont once said 'You know you've created God in your own image when he hates all the same people you do' - I think that's a fair assessment of many folks' religious beliefs more than the textual interpretation of faith.

 

[DocIllinois]

Anne Lamont once said 'You know you've created God in your own image when he hates all the same people you do' - I think that's a fair assessment of many folks' religious beliefs more than the textual interpretation of faith.

All notions and images of gods are imaginary.

There is no evidence to demonstrate that any one image is better, or more true, than any other, or even to demonstrate that supernatural beings which inform our existence are real at all.

Despite the above, the inability of the religious fundamentalist to bear the thought that anyone would worship a god notion before their own, though, is used to justify behavior toward others ranging from annoying to truly evil.

 

[CQB]

It's an irony that some of us have had to become amateur Islamic scholars and with my own journey of discovery, I wish I didn't have to undertake it but it does come in handy, even if it's been done with gritted teeth.

• The 'wrong interpretation' theory when you discuss it with Muslims. There's only three that matter, quote one of those and that argument goes away.
• The 'out of context' argument. Similarly, know the context and it disappears too.
• No, I'm not going to study the Hadiths, there's too many and some are just too bizarre.

I've had some good chats with some of those guys and it's worth the challenge.

 

[Topkick]

One question that needs to be asked: why do they have to kill to be considered pius?

The radicals use verses like this to justify it;

Surah 3:85, “If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him.” Here the definition of Islam must be taken in its global context of surrendering and submission to One and Only One God.

 

[Gunz]

...How much sense do we really expect a book(s) written by desert people living in abysmal ignorance in the 14th Century to make?...

...It doesn't make sense to me to regress to another time in any way, shape or form...

It don't make much sense to look to the future, either.

 

[Marauder06]

The Quilliam Society...

Isn't Quilliam the group that is named after a Brit who converted to Islam, swearing allegiance to the Ottomans and urging a worldwide caliphate?

 

[ThunderHorse]

Isn't Quilliam the group that is named after a Brit who converted to Islam, swearing allegiance to the Ottomans and urging a worldwide caliphate?

That is correct. Considering they lobby Western Governments rather than lobbying ME governments I don't find them interesting at all.

 

[CQB]

True, that's the origin of the name. The current founders are all ex-members of Hizb -ut Tahrir who have taken a different view and broke away. They do some good CVE work.

 

[Marauder06]

I'll take your word for it because I've never heard of them before. It's interesting that the accomplishments on their Wikipedia page feature things like condemnation of Israel, confronting Geert Wilders, and defending the burqa. Doesn't sound very CVE-y to me.

 

[CQB]

Two out of three isn't a bad score, to be clear there are white extremists as well & the burqa issue is for them is a laissez faire approach. If their dialogue has the effect of lowering threat, I'm for it, instead of the alternative, mass murder.

 

[Topkick]

Two out of three isn't a bad score, to be clear there are white extremists as well & the burqa issue is for them is a laissez faire approach. If their dialogue has the effect of lowering threat, I'm for it, instead of the alternative, mass murder.

Or are we being deceived? Communicating that something is tolerable can facilitate infiltration. If you don't convince the people that you are peaceful, they won't let you in.

 

[CQB]

...as discussed & understood, as in my discussions with certain gentlemen the conversation leads to them whipping out photos of dead Palestinian children and asking do I think this is fair? I'm not convinced, never will be & they can try, but their Jedi mind tricks don't really have much effect. As I've said previously, there are white extremists as well, there are good examples in the US stretching back to the Weathermen. Anders Breivic is another, it's not exclusively defined to one culture & history is also instructive, starting with the Zealots.

 

[ThunderHorse]

I just don't get folks like this, especially taking their kids into this hell hole: Thousands of Iraqis have fled Mosul, but this American family moved in

 

[CQB]

I appreciate the sentiment, but putting their kids at risk? :-/

 

[Gunz]

Brave fools.

Grudging respect for putting yourself in peril to help those in need...but you're a dick for dragging the whole family into your little corner of Hell. ISIS would like those tender young necks...

And by the way, you look like you're enjoying the publicity a little too much...

 

[ThunderHorse]

Russia says it will treat US-led coalition planes in Syria, west of the Euphrates, as targets after US downed Syrian jet

Well, no wonder they aren't approving UQRs. Warfooting it is.

 

[AWP]

Russia says it will treat US-led coalition planes in Syria, west of the Euphrates, as targets after US downed Syrian jet

Well, no wonder they aren't approving UQRs. Warfooting it is.

I've watched our C2 capabilities increase by about 60% or so over the last two years and I've seen a noticeable increase in our defensive posture in the last 6 months. The Russians are linesteppers and provocateurs, so this doesn't surprise me. We've literally said, and when I first heard this I thought it was a joke, "I wonder if I'll be on shift when WWIII breaks out." There are so many dynamics at play, but the US/ Russia angle typically receives all of the press' attention (for good reason but it is shortsighted), while other equally important areas are ignored.

Despite all of that we are making progress against ISIS, but years in Afghanistan have biased me towards a loss we won't call a loss. I hope I'm wrong this time around.

 

[DA SWO]

Russia says it will treat US-led coalition planes in Syria, west of the Euphrates, as targets after US downed Syrian jet

Well, no wonder they aren't approving UQRs. Warfooting it is.

UQR?

 

[ThunderHorse]

UQR?

I got out in March so that statement isn't about me specifically. But When Officers choose to leave the service they must submit and Un-Qualified Resignation (Refrad). I know of five guys in various MOSs who were denied their resignation by HRC in the last two months. All O-3s.

 

[Marauder06]

UQR?

^what Thunderhorse said. UQR is the standard way officers leave the service short of retirement.