Does conventional military military force EVER defeat Terrorists?

[DistressedAmerican]

Has it ever happened?

Do these kind of response not just punish civilians that them themselves are motivated to become terrorists?

Hezbollah was created in response to the last invasion.

Does anyone really think it will be different this time?

[uppityperson]

1. quit making sense, you are upsetting them.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. Has not happened yet, but that does not mean

it might not yet.

But, I doubt it.

Also, I am not aware of an empire yet that has learned that message. THe hubris seems to get in the way.

[rockymountaindem]

3. The Brits won a guerilla war in Malaysia during the Cold War, US did too

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayan_Emergency#Guerrilla_War

On edit, the US also defeated the Philippine insurrection, although by methods we should all deplore:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine-American_War#The_guerrilla_war_phase

Not to mention the US Army vs. Crazy Horse, Geronimo, etc.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. I have studied that one, and it is not a bonified

native guerilla uprising. practically all the leaders were Chinese, and that caused resentment among the Malay tribes. they did not treat their "soldiers" any better than the Brits, and far worse than the Malay government in place.

this was more of a Korea type thing which petered out on it's own.

[rockymountaindem]

10. One could argue that Hezbollah isn't truly a Lebanese organization

with their main source of support being in Iran. However, their membership is mostly Lebanese, as I understand, so I guess at its core it is a Lebanese movement. However, they don't have much widespread support, as their holdings in the Lebanese parliament amount to about 10% of the seats. When I brought up Malaysia I was thinking more about military tactics than politics, but you probably know more about that specific incident so I'll concede that point to you. You raise an interesting point.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

12. Hezbolla may have support from Iran, but

it's heart is in the occupied territories, and it will succeed against all "convential" tactics. IMHO.

Politically, I see your point, but 10% may be only a small portion of their true strength.

[LynnTheDem]

4. No.

No.

Yep.

Uh huh.

Nope...cept for the MFing stupid rightwingnuts coz they're really MFing stupid.

[marmar]

5. No. Never.

But every so-called advanced military power does, over and over and over again, to repeated failure. An endless cycle of stupidity.

[stillcool]

6. I don't understand what the difference is...

between what happened to the American Indian and what is happening to the Arabs.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

9. none

basically

[The Straight Story]

8. Do terrorists ever defeat a country?

Some people cannot rationalize their hate - might be religious or racial as an example. Can terrorists win their war without killing innocents? Can any country do so?

In the end - war sucks all the way around and I wish they all would stop. Us, Israel, and all the rest the world over.

And if terrorism does win wars with countries, maybe countries should start doing more of that so they can win too?

[Truthiness Inspector]

11. Has talking to homicidal psychopaths ever worked?

If Israel politely asked Hezbollah to stop attacking, would that work? :eyes:

You tell me, what does solve terrorism? What stops a force hell-bent on wiping out an entire population?

If you think you could broker a deal with Nasrallah, what is stopping you? Maybe you could be the first person to convince him and his followers that killing all Jews is not very nice idea and isn't very peaceful.

[DistressedAmerican]

15. A just peace settlement does.

Withdraw to the 67 borders.

Ensure the right of return.

Relase the 8,500 to 10,000 prisnoers that they hold (many without charges or trial for decades).

Stop preventing the Palestinians from having their own state.

Stop blocking all ecomonic development for the Palestinian people.

In short, remove the sources of the hostility. Whether you realize ot ot not, there are very real resons that people are pissed at Israel.

When Israel steps up to that plate rather than this counter-productive one they will reduce terrorism. This action will do nothing but spawn more.

Hell, the status quo doing absolutely nothing is better than making more enemies.

[lastknowngood]

13. To quote Gandhi 200,000 British soldiers can not control 200 million

Indians unless the cooperate.
We won our Independence from England via gorilla warfare, we lost our ass in the Philippines to a gorilla war, we lost vietnam to a gorilla war Russia lost to a gorilla war. All over south America right wing dictatorships have been replaced by the former leaders of gorilla war.

You can not defeat a people who feel they have been wronged and are powerless, because they have nothing to lose.

How do you scare people into behaving as you wish if they are willing to blow themselves up to get you? The die was cast before it ever started, force begets force, hate begets hate, and injustice begets injustice.

The only way to defeat a gorilla army is to remove the reasons for their existence.

[mmonk]

14. In Israel's case so far, no.

It's always a rerun. Who knows what will happen this time? There's always time for a first. Maybe since the US is no longer a peacemaker, they will succeed? That must be the reason behind our unified government's thinking in being a cheerleader. Remember, it's our war now.

[Cobalt-60]

16. No

Guerrilla fighters with the support of the local population are impossible to defeat.
And any guerilla fighters are likely to be tarred as terrorsits.