Eagle2352 Loc: Oxford, Ga

The taking heads don't have it right and neither does the president. We are between two options and both end up with equally problematic decisions. We do nothing and ISIS will rise to be the ruling power in the region, both Syria and Iraq will be one country and the rest of the area will fall, leaving Israel in a horrible position. ISIS will call the shots for Saudi Arabia and Iran will have to take them seriously. Or we can start a new war that can't be won. Where we once again cross the ocean to k**l Muslims .. As I guarantee you that's all it is to the people in the region. You are not going to get Muslims to k**l other Muslims, they will throw their arms down and turn around and walk back to coffee shop from where they were recruited in the first place. The Iraq army has already done exactly this. They will not fight ISIS. The problem is, there is no nationalism in this part of he Arab world, you have religiousism . There is no p***e in country, no aspect of trust, or willingness to protect the values and interests of the state. Ask a US soldier why he joined, you will hear words like "I love my country," and " I want to protect my country. ". If you are fighting for your God, Allah, or what ever deity you want to mention, you are not fighting for the state, you are not protecting a nation, you are protecting a faith. If you believe fervently that your cause is higher than those of the state, your allegiance is to that God and if you are asked to take arms to fight other believers the questions that are asked as you raise the rife, are will my God forgive me, is this the right thing to do, if I die fighting those that are fighting on the side of God, will I not get the seven virgins, will Allah not grant me eternal salvation. So here we are, do we fight or not, which side of a bad decision do we sit on. Question, is there a Kurdish sword as an answer?

RS Loc: W Columbia, SC

Very well put - - in my opinion.
Very SCARILY well put . . .

bunuweld Loc: Arizona

I would agree that the possible solutions are equally impractical, but the problem is far more complicated than just two paths. With the division of the Ottoman empire after World War, the winners, very wisely (from their viewpoint) split countries under the "divide and rule" principle, so that each country had a multiplicity of ethnic and religious groups, so that they would remain busy with mistrust and division between the various groups within each country. A most obvious example is the Kurdistan region which remains under the rule of four different countries (Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran). Religionism in those countries is partly the result of the divide-and-conquer policy that colonial powers have used so successfully in the past. My prediction is that Turkey will find itself fighting Turkey's Kurds when they try for independence. The irony is that Turkey was supporting Syrian rebels not too long ago, not realizing the current backfiring of that policy. There are so many divisions and factors involved that nobody, including us, knows whom to back up and in what terms. The Middle East is beginning to look like the Balkan countries before WWI.

Eagle2352 Loc: Oxford, Ga

Very well stated.. Thank you for your comment... But at present.. Here we are on an aircraft carrier loading 500 pound bombs ready to blow up a Toyota with a machine gun in the bed... So we k**l 3 out of work soda jerks that are waving the Koran ... What do we do next?

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

I agree with you up to a point. Not all the countries want to live under a state religion and those who do want a state religion are willing to k**l those who don't. Their religion is the driving force behind the wanton k*****gs and the desire to dominate other countries for Allah.

There is a difference between Islam's Allah and the Judeo-Christian God. Yes, the American soldier is willing to fight for their country but it goes deeper then love for country. The freedoms that we enjoy is worth to price to die for and one of those freedoms is our right to worship God as we please. Yes, we question as to what God thinks if we k**l a follower human as well as a follower countrymen. I would hope that we question the option should it ever arise as to rather we are willing to k**l our follower countrymen with or without God's blessings.

Even so, ISIS is also waging a religious war for Allah rather we want to admit it or not and they do want to k**l us no matter what we decide to do. This one could be the very next world war. Their soldiers are already in place through out the world - at least in countries that matter the most and kid yourself not, they will k**l anyone who gets in their way, even their own. Other Muslim nations are not willing to fight ISIS but it has nothing to do with their religion or the refusal to k**l their follower Muslim brothers. The love of God and country is not in them and they see no value in giving up their lives. We, fighting in their place, won't overcome their hatred for us either but as the old saying goes - better to fight them over there then to have to fight them here.