How accurate is our intel on Syria, Assad - and how accurate are our missiles?

[SamSpade]

And I don't actually know - this is not my area of expertise. I just remember years ago, they mentioned in the news that our missiles are so accurate, they could tell you which window it would enter into a building. When need be, they're that precise.

Moreover - I'm guessing that at any given time, we have a pretty good idea where Assad is at any time. Given enough intel, we could shoot one up his backside if the order were given.

So - I have to suppose that either we don't get intel that good; our missiles aren't always that accurate ---

Or we don't really want to take him out.

That said - do you suppose we could at least send him a message? You know, spell out a great big "Boo" in missile craters right on his front lawn? (I'm being silly but if the aforementioned precision were true, it's the equivalent of those scenes in movies where the person being captured sees a few dozen laser dots on their chest and realizes the jig is up). Can we tell him, sir - your continued existence is at our whim. Don't piss us off.

 

[GURPS]

something of a Gentleman's agreement - not targeting political leaders intentionally or I think even General Staff




although if memory serves me correctly we tried to off Qaddafi in the 80s during the F-111 Strikes

 

[glhs837]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/07/politics/new-satellite-imagery-of-bombed-syrian-base/

 

[SamSpade]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/07/politics/new-satellite-imagery-of-bombed-syrian-base/

So - we didn't intend to destroy the place - just - send a message?
Why isn't there a 500 foot wide crater where the base used to be?

 

[Larry Gude]

So - we didn't intend to destroy the place - just - send a message?
Why isn't there a 500 foot wide crater where the base used to be?

How come it isn't obvious Trump did this to get a break from the Russia scrutiny? It does nothing to stop the killing. It is simply a feel good bit of political theater. Clinton did it when Monica was about to testify. We killed the Sudan's only pharmaceutical plant and a night watchman so that some news space would be taken up with something other than him lying about using his position to coerce sex from subordinates.

 

[SamSpade]

How come it isn't obvious Trump did this to get a break from the Russia scrutiny?

Does anyone except the screeching left even think there really IS Russian scrutiny?

I do however, see a few other things happening.
He gave the word WHILE entertaining China, with whom he's been saying "curb your dog North Korea - or I'll do it".
He DID tell Assad something he hadn't expected - yeah, I know I said we need to stay out of there.
Don't bet the farm on it. And don't push your luck.

 

[glhs837]

So - we didn't intend to destroy the place - just - send a message?
Why isn't there a 500 foot wide crater where the base used to be?

So, every hardened aircraft shelter and building on the place destroyed, and I'll assume damage to runways (although destroying a runway is pretty hard, takes a few days tops to repair one) is pretty much destroying the place. The only way you get 500 foot craters is with nukes or B-52 raids with hundreds of conventional bombs dropped. Craters are not what you are after, since that's just blowing up dirt, which they have plenty of. You want to destroy the things that take time, money and effort to build.

 

[SamSpade]

So, every hardened aircraft shelter and building on the place destroyed, and I'll assume damage to runways (although destroying a runway is pretty hard, takes a few days tops to repair one) is pretty much destroying the place. The only way you get 500 foot craters is with nukes or B-52 raids with hundreds of conventional bombs dropped. Craters are not what you are after, since that's just blowing up dirt, which they have plenty of. You want to destroy the things that take time, money and effort to build.

Witnesses said they were flying airplanes from there inside an HOUR.
So guessing, not THAT much damage to the airstrip itself.

 

[Hijinx]

How come it isn't obvious Trump did this to get a break from the Russia scrutiny? It does nothing to stop the killing. It is simply a feel good bit of political theater. Clinton did it when Monica was about to testify. We killed the Sudan's only pharmaceutical plant and a night watchman so that some news space would be taken up with something other than him lying about using his position to coerce sex from subordinates.

Well there you go then, no harm no foul.

 

[glhs837]

Witnesses said they were flying airplanes from there inside an HOUR.
So guessing, not THAT much damage to the airstrip itself.

Again we go back to sources. But as I mentioned, pretty hard to put one out of commision, especially if you dont use cluster munitions. Runway repair is a pretty settled field, and Russian aircraft were built to take some pretty bad runways.

 

[Inkd]

Witnesses said they were flying airplanes from there inside an HOUR.
So guessing, not THAT much damage to the airstrip itself.

We took hits on the runway in Afghanistan all the time. A maintenance crew would come out and two or three guys would start cleaning up the loose debris while another guy mixed a 2 part sealing kit in a 5 gallon bucket that filled the hole and self leveled. It had a cure time of about 20 minutes and we were good to go again. It took a little over an hour from start to finish, maybe, depending on how big the hole was.

 

[awpitt]

Good questions posed here.... The other thing is that I've heard claims that we destroyed 20% of their Air Force. Then it was 20% of the particular air wing. Then it was 20% of the planes stationed on that base. Then it was twenty planes.

Well, which is it?

 

[Hijinx]

Good questions posed here.... The other thing is that I've heard claims that we destroyed 20% of their Air Force. Then it was 20% of the particular air wing. Then it was 20% of the planes stationed on that base. Then it was twenty planes.

Well, which is it?

Who knows? One of the problems is that instead of trying to get facts our media is busy attacking the Trump administration and can we actually believe anything they report anyway?

 

[PsyOps]

How come it isn't obvious Trump did this to get a break from the Russia scrutiny? It does nothing to stop the killing. It is simply a feel good bit of political theater. Clinton did it when Monica was about to testify. We killed the Sudan's only pharmaceutical plant and a night watchman so that some news space would be taken up with something other than him lying about using his position to coerce sex from subordinates.

There may be a bit of political theater involved, but I don't believe it's to distract from the Russian thing or any of the other leftist-conjured-up scandals. I think it was done to stick it in Obama's eye for not answering to his own line-in-the-sand. Trump is essentially saying to the country "I am willing to do what Obama didn't have the balls to do". And largely, folks seem to be happy about it.

Now, what was the results of this? I don't believe much of anything. Perhaps send a message to Assad that more is to come if he doesn't stop with the crap. I don't like this sort of sabre rattling. A REAL message would have been to take out all of their airstrips and their electrical grid to their military bases.

In reality, we're just getting ourselves into another foreign entanglement. I see no real plan or effort to answer to any of the atrocities. We need to stay out of it.

 

[PsyOps]

Good questions posed here.... The other thing is that I've heard claims that we destroyed 20% of their Air Force. Then it was 20% of the particular air wing. Then it was 20% of the planes stationed on that base. Then it was twenty planes.

Well, which is it?

We put a bunch of impact craters in the sand.

 

[Larry Gude]

There may be a bit of political theater involved, but I don't believe it's to distract from the Russian thing or any of the other leftist-conjured-up scandals. I think it was done to stick it in Obama's eye for not answering to his own line-in-the-sand. Trump is essentially saying to the country "I am willing to do what Obama didn't have the balls to do". And largely, folks seem to be happy about it. it.

So, it's more than a 'bit' theater and politics then? I mean, is that Trump's foreign policy impetus, to stick it in Obama's eye time and again or to DO something?

Anyone who bought into his horse#### about bombing the hell out of ISIS has GOT to ask themselves "Then why did we just attack ISIS' enemy???" Heck, what, 75 dead? Do we have evidence Assad actually ordered it? Seems more likely some local commander exceeded orders or perhaps even a false flag deal. It does NOT serve Assad's interest if his patron, Putin, is getting along with the US better and THEN to muck it all up using gas whereby Trump would, or could, act based on it being gas instead of some other just as readily available method of killing 75 people. Assad isn't stupid. This thing stinks.

 

[Larry Gude]

In reality, we're just getting ourselves into another foreign entanglement. I see no real plan or effort to answer to any of the atrocities. We need to stay out of it.

Trump said he'd bomb the hell out of ISIS. You on board with that, presuming he intends to?

 

[PsyOps]

Trump said he'd bomb the hell out of ISIS. You on board with that, presuming he intends to?

In Syria or elsewhere?

 

[Larry Gude]

In Syria or elsewhere?

Well, considering they're headquartered in KSA, I was kinda hoping...

 

[PsyOps]

So, it's more than a 'bit' theater and politics then? I mean, is that Trump's foreign policy impetus, to stick it in Obama's eye time and again or to DO something?

Anyone who bought into his horse#### about bombing the hell out of ISIS has GOT to ask themselves "Then why did we just attack ISIS' enemy???" Heck, what, 75 dead? Do we have evidence Assad actually ordered it? Seems more likely some local commander exceeded orders or perhaps even a false flag deal. It does NOT serve Assad's interest if his patron, Putin, is getting along with the US better and THEN to muck it all up using gas whereby Trump would, or could, act based on it being gas instead of some other just as readily available method of killing 75 people. Assad isn't stupid. This thing stinks.

How can we ever know the truth behind the intel?