With ISIS in Cross Hairs, U.S. Holds Back to Protect Civilians

[flowers]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/27/world/middleeast/with-isis-in-crosshairs-us-holds-back-to-protect-civilians.html?referrer=&_r=1

WASHINGTON — American intelligence analysts have identified seven buildings in downtown Raqqa in eastern Syria as the main headquarters of the Islamic State. But the buildings have gone untouched during the 10-month allied air campaign.

And just last week, convoys of heavily armed Islamic State fighters paraded triumphantly through the streets of the provincial capital Ramadi in western Iraq after forcing Iraqi troops to flee. They rolled on unscathed by coalition fighter-bombers.

American and allied warplanes are equipped with the most precise aerial arsenal ever fielded. But American officials say they are not striking significant — and obvious — Islamic State targets out of fear that the attacks will accidentally kill civilians. Killing such innocents could hand the militants a major propaganda coup and alienate both the local Sunni tribesmen, whose support is critical to ousting the militants, and Sunni Arab countries that are part of the American-led coalition.

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The comment section is a interesting read at this article.

[andy58-in-nh]

German ball-bearing and munition manufacturers were located near civilian centers, as were Japanese aircraft production facilities (Mitsubishi) and oil depots.
 
Guess what?  We bombed them anyway.
 
That's why we're still here.

[240B]

Obama is never going to kill his fellow Muslims, no matter what they do.

The equivalent would be as if we had a German national as President during WWII. He may or may not disagree with Hitler, but he would still have a hard time bombing his own people. The same with Obama.

[Fishrrman]

Obviously dumb question:

If this location is known, why don't the Israelis take out these buildings in a stealthy a mode as Mossad can concoct ...?

[EC]

One word - extraction.

They could get in, sure. Do the actual job, most definitely.

Getting out with all hell breaking loose would be problematic, to say the least.

[240B]

Nah, Israel is an extremely powerful country. They could make Iran into dirt and rubble if they wanted to. They hold back. They hold back only because I am not in charge.

If I could, if I had the power, I would nuke Iran today, in this very moment. I would kill those mu44therfu8ckers. Today now, i would do it now. Today, and now.

Do it now. Kill those ass-hols, kill them good, kill them hard.

But that is just me. What can you do?

[Bigun]

Nah, Israel is an extremely powerful country. They could make Iran into dirt and rubble if they wanted to. They hold back. They hold back only because I am not in charge.

If I could, if I had the power, I would nuke Iran today, in this very moment. I would kill those mu44therfu8ckers. Today now, i would do it now. Today, and now.

Do it now. Kill those ass-hols, kill them good, kill them hard.

We don't need to KILL anybody although some may die as a result of what really needs to be done. ALL that really needs doing is to remove the current Mullah regime from power in Iran and replace them with a more reasonable government.

Every bit of this current Middle East turmoil can and should be laid right at the feet of Jimmy Carter!

[240B]

i would kill them now. If I could nuke Iran, shit, I would do it now, this very second.

The mullahs all want to die for Allah, and that is great, because I want to kill them for Allah, so we both agree, that I should kill them. OK, I'm good with that.

But seriously, if I had the ability to nuke Iran, I would have killed those stupid bleep yesterday.