pardon ?

Trolls Mike. I don’t believe anyone who lived in Ireland through the 70′s and 80′s would ever want to go back to those days again.

I agree John.
We really don’t ever want to go back to those times again.

shh..Ian, don’t shoot the moral high-horse. We’re going to need it for Syria and Iran. And Russia and South African miners and….maybe Greece, Italy, Spain Portugal and all points peripheral if they get uppity.

And we still have to get back to our backyard in Latin America.

What’s the difference between a predator drone lauching a guided missile or a F16 lauching one?

None. No difference but haters gonna hate

There is a difference actually. A drone is a far more effective weapons systems platform in many situations. It can linger for longer, has excellent surveillance capabilities and more people are involved in the decison to launch a weapon or not. A F16 on the other hand, the pilot has to fly the aircraft and operate the weapons systems. The aircraft flies at much higher speeds and generally cannot linger above a target for a long time. But “drone attacks” are an emmotive term that people like to uses who don’t have a clue! The facts of the matter are both platforms are very capable of killing people.

well your right reg but if you just wanna look at it from engaging a target and destroying it there is no difference. Drone are more effective your right the US had bucket load of them and as you said they can stay up for lot longer then a jet and can patrol far more effectively. Terrorist groups do fear them as there is no warning that eye in the sky is always up there. One issue i do have is most drones happen to be armed with hellfires which will stop pretty much anything from a car to a tank but they have huge kinetic and explosive energy. Anything with in say 50 meters is toast and in crowed area that very very bad. Gunship helicopters have cannons with depleted uranium rounds which will do same job but there is no damage outside of that area, far better for engaging target in urban area

Also lets not forget the fact that the Taliban have a nasty habit of occupying homes and holding the occupants at gunpoint. So when NATO forces are fired upon from such locations their retaliation will have an extremely high chance of killing the innocents as well as the Taliban fighters. Then the press machine is quick to quote all of the people killed as civilians to make the NATO forces look like the villain. Village chiefs have come out explaining what has happened despite threats of retaliation from the Taliban yet some people don’t war it because it doesn’t fit their anti-US sentiments.

While Obama has increased Drone attacks, his civillian body account has gone down…

Drone attacks have decreased last few years because they ran out of credible targets… Drones are very affective and are better as because there is no pilot at risk, better back up and slower speeds… Better choices are made….

Drones are far better than indiscrimate bombing like London or Germany in WWII….

Look at the numbers:
http://whiskeysplace.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/drones-and-obama/

@reg. so you are quite pleased with the drone attacks as a form of killing innocent people.

Ian that’s not worth even responding too. You have no idea how milItaly operations are conducted. How the targets are engaged or what rules of that engagement are. Your post is anti everything really. I’d not bother replying reg

No, only bad people Ian. Unfortunately sometimes innocent ones get killed also.

@eye see all / reg. as long as your happy killing innocents who am I to spoil your fun!!!!

Nowhere did I say that enjoyed it Ian, try and grow up. Unfurtantely in wars, innocent people get killed. It’s simply a statement of fact.

@Reg: it’s the people going to war that need to grow up reg, it does not work afghan will be back to square one in a couple of years, Iraq was an illegal war, drone attacks in Pakistan kill innocent people, Iran will probably be next the list goes on and on, war does not work but it is big business, northern Ireland is proof that war does not work, how long have Israel and Palestine been at it? The prison officer who died was a innocent man reg!!! Hillary Clinton needs to practice what she preaches.

He was an innocent man Ian and delibrately targeted. I have not dicussed the rights and wrongs of any of the wars you mentioned Ian. As long as man has existed there have been wars. There will probably be wars for some time to come.

Agree with you Ian that Iraq was illegal war. But then again depending whos side your on is any war really legal?? Unfortunately war at times IS necessary. to use those you hate, the Americans. Had they not got involved in WW1 or WW2, Ve would ve Speaking German now :) and you can be sure every Jew in the world would have been hunted down and really cos of the americans you still have a vote. Had Germany won and taken us over do you think you would have had vote?? and lets be real about it, germany would have come here had they won.

I dont blame the yanks for going into Afghanistan, really they had to and we all know that. Attack on america, hiding bin Laden and his co-horts, Your right that when they pull out the whole thing could and very well probably will go pair shaped. I guess if you compare now all the civilians that died as a result of american actions it could be in the mid thousands from wrong targets and bad information. However the number of civilian deaths attributed to the Taliban will be multiple times that figure. I can tell you now what will happen. The yanks will pull out the Taliban will try to overthrow the government. The government in knowing there is no cameras from the west looking will defend itself though mass slaughter and thats how it will be. They might win Taliban might win, either way as soon as the Americans go its going to be rough there for a while.

One other thing if you add up all the civilian deaths from 2001 im guessing (have no proof) it would still be far fewer innocents killed then if the Taliban were left in power to stone woman, shoot kids in the head with Ak-47′s oh and the fave torture of theirs, raping woman before execution to make sure she can never be accepted in their afterlife. The american Army has standards, a few bad apples yes but by and large i respect them far more than the Taliban.

I think Mr. Jason Culligan has made the best statement here…

interesting David you wanna elaborate on that??

How is she a hypocrite? Hillary doesn’t order drone attacks! Probably doesn’t even know about them until after the fact. Sounds to me like someone has some anti-American sentiment and thinks we’re all the same…

I agree with Kerron Hillary clinton is an empty suit.

why are you singling out the drones. What about strikes by Jets?? really people seems to get panties in a twist about drones.

Sean – the American authorities, both at national and state level are doing all they can in response to the hurricane. Even the Republican governor of New Jersey has praised Obama in this regard. Ur comment is a cheap shot and doesn’t merit serious scrutiny.

Neil… who appointed you to the position of deciding which comments merit scrutiny?

Sean – of course people can decide for themselves, the majority will shrug ur earlier comment off as opportunistic and conclude that it deserves nothing but contempt.

agree Neil. Its fairly misinformed

Seán, I think you should focus on learning what each position in the US government is supposed to do before claiming that one official should ignore their job and do the job of another. It is her responsibility to deal with foreign affairs, not internal affairs.

@ Jason … I am well informed on the role of Hillary Clinton re. foreign policy. I am of disputing that. What I am saying is that considering the state of emergency in the north eastern states should she not temporarily ease of on her foreign policy role for a few days and focus her strong and valuable clout and political energies towards the victims of storm Sandy. Seems a reasonable enough comment to make…

not really sean. what more could she do that the national guard is not doing?? her job is foreign affairs pure and simple or should she ignore that role and go down to new jersey and get in the way of the work already being done and take her eye off the ball of the number one target for terrorists. Personally i think she is right in what she said and doing her job. So yes kinda misinformed but your entitled to your opinion, not saying your right but still entitled to it

again i say, would you like to elaborate?? can you pick one of those in particular. Give us the date and the amount of victims please and we can assess it. Should be easy to find on google

Troll

The Clinton’s played a role in the Good Friday agreement.

Clinton’s? What role did Hillary as first lady play in the good friday agreement?

Yeah spot on. But they don’t want to give up their guns there. They don’t see it as we do. Thats their tragic choice

The most pertinent point in ur comment is addressed in the first sentence of ur post.

@Neil in the meantime you haven’t been of much help to enlighten Patrick so you’re no better

Darren – whoever the US Secretary of State is always comments on international issues. Mrs Clinton has a genuine interest in Ireland, especially given her husband’s outstanding contribution to the peace process. Has that satisfied u, did I really need to spell it out for u ???

Because she’s the united states secretary of state. Thee most powerful woman in American politics. The wife of the ex president who did his all to bring peace to the north.

Fair point I suppose. I don’t listen to her much, does she comment on goings on in other countries as well ? And Neil me ould mucker, thanks my friend. Thanks for reassuring me that there are bigger asses around than me. lol

Moran – glad u got a laugh. Hope u enjoy ur return to playschool next week.