[Nuclear1]

It does seem a bit of a reach to me to say that Syria must have authorised the raid simply because they didn't shoot down the American helicopters. Especially when there is another obvious reason why they didn't.

Because they're not ****ing stupid!

Yes, because if Syria had--God forbid--defended itself against the big bad United States, we might have just decided to send that country back to the Stone Age.  Watch out Syria!

Not defending the theory Syria gave us the go-ahead (that's simply ridiculous), but do you have any idea how silly your theory sounds?

[Mars]

I think he has a valid point.

Do you really think the powers that be would let the downing of US helicopters slide, even if it was our own fault?

[Nuclear1]

Yes, because the US's image is tarnished with the world by this point. Maybe if we hadn't already pissed off every part of the world for one reason or another, the US might be able to play that card.

Fact is, the past five years have collectively been a foreign relations disaster. By this point, Syria couldve shot the helicopters, because, honestly, what's the US going to do in response?

Nothing. We can't afford to launch a full scale attack on another country. If we did label Syria as a country harboring terrorists and imposed embargoes, who would be on our side for it to make a difference?

[Colonol Dekker]

No doubt gordon brown would kneel before bush.
And also he'd help out.

[Mars]

And I'm sure we'd never invade a country with faulty intelligence when the UN disapproves.

[karajorma]

Fact is, the past five years have collectively been a foreign relations disaster. By this point, Syria couldve shot the helicopters, because, honestly, what's the US going to do in response?

A cruise missile attack on some arbitrarily picked military installation seems to be the standard US response to anything they don't like when they don't want to actually invade.

[Nuclear1]

And I'm sure we'd never invade a country with faulty intelligence when the UN disapproves.

If you'd read my post you'd see that I said we can't afford to invade another country.

And the Iraq debacle just underscores my point about the US having shot its relations with the rest of the world.

Fact is, the past five years have collectively been a foreign relations disaster. By this point, Syria couldve shot the helicopters, because, honestly, what's the US going to do in response?

A cruise missile attack on some arbitrarily picked military installation seems to be the standard US response to anything they don't like when they don't want to actually invade.

I really hope you're not trying to compare Infinite Reach to what happened in Syria.

Because that would be silly if you did.

[karajorma]

Are you seriously telling me you couldn't see the Bush government responding to Syria shooting down one of their helicopters?


You're acting like America's options are an invasion or just taking it. That's ridiculous.

[Nuclear1]

No I can't, because the cruise missile bombings of Afghanistan and Sudan were responses to terrorist attacks, not a country defending itself, which completely invalidates your reference to Operation Infinite Reach. With regards to Syria, the US was at fault in the first place by sending the helicopters, and responding militarily to a Syrian shoot-down would only confirm the helicopter attack as an act of aggression, rather than an operation aimed at killing a single al-Qaeda member.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

gotta say that Syria complaining about naitonal souvereignity is a hoot.
Lebanon anyone?

[karajorma]

No I can't, because the cruise missile bombings of Afghanistan and Sudan were responses to terrorist attacks, not a country defending itself, which completely invalidates your reference to Operation Infinite Reach. With regards to Syria, the US was at fault in the first place by sending the helicopters, and responding militarily to a Syrian shoot-down would only confirm the helicopter attack as an act of aggression, rather than an operation aimed at killing a single al-Qaeda member.

You really expect the Bush government to put there hands up and go "Hmmmm. An entire helicopter full of dead soldiers. Our bad! They shouldn't have been there in the first place. Sorry families of the dead, we screwed up"

You've got to be ****ing kidding me.

[General Battuta]

Fact is, the past five years have collectively been a foreign relations disaster. By this point, Syria couldve shot the helicopters, because, honestly, what's the US going to do in response?

A cruise missile attack on some arbitrarily picked military installation seems to be the standard US response to anything they don't like when they don't want to actually invade.

I hate to say it, but I agree with Kara. Even Clinton did that. I wish they'd cut it out.