What do you think the last justified use of U.S. military force was?

[Arugula Latte]

Was it Bosnia? Do we have to go all the way back to WWII?

I'm wondering what DUers think was a good, proper, justified use of U.S. military lives and resources.

[napi21]

1. Pearl Harbor & Afghanistan. Both were because WE were

directly attacked.

[Codeblue]

2. NOT Afghanistan

We were directly attacked, but not by Afghanistan. Bosnia I guess, though it hardly seemed to have any effect. Maybe Korea?

[Arugula Latte]

4. Yes -- national "defense" makes sense.

National offense makes no sense -- unless you're an executive in a corporation profitting from the military-industrial complex.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. We attacked Afghanistan but most of the hijackers were Saudi Arabian. The US was lining

up for a war against the Taliban pre 9/11. The Taliban actually
offered at least two times to turn over Bin Laden to a third party Mus Thelim country. At least one time before 9/11 and once after 9/11. George refused.

http://www.ringnebula.com/Oil/Timeline.htm

[napi21]

19. I believe he refused because the terms stipulated that the death

penalty would be off the table. I happen to think he should have taken the deal, but you know how vindictive the pubs are!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

20. I am saying that he didn't take the deal because he wanted the war with Afghanistan.

We already had special forces at the border before 9/11.

Please click on the link from my previous post.

[oldtimecanuk]

3. Bosnia was justified.... All you have to do is look at what happened...

to the Dictator of the Serb's and pretty much answers your question....... Mulosivich was very bad indeed, something like GWB only not as bad as I recall.....

ww

[Big Pappa]

7. Bullshit

Mulosivich was very bad I agree. But Clinton sent us their under Wes clark to do what? WMD's? Did they attack us? No. Saddam was bad also. I see no difference. BTW we are still in Bosnia.

[oldtimecanuk]

13. As far as I know Mulosivich is dead and Serbia is in a better state than it was....

We may still be there, but at least things have settled down....

ww

[Big Pappa]

17. Does better make it right.

Subject: I am not
Message:
looking at the end result. (BTW which was good.) Just our reasoning for going to war. I am sure many could site Saddam's atrocities (plus he is dead also. I hope) as justification to invade Iraq. Bottom line is, Mulosivich was not a threat to any of us. His own people, though that is another matter.

[tbyg52]

5. When we were actually in eminent danger. eom

Hey, monkeyman--

Edited to add:

Exactly, and corrected for spelling.

[Monkeyman]

6. Yep and there better be proof

[Warren Stupidity]

8. WWII. And before that?

I got fooled about afghanistan - and it is now clear to me that we had no intention of doing right by the afghans anyhow, and that as far as I am concerned what actually happened on 9-11 and who actually attacked us, if anyone, is an open question.

As for Kosovo - there is an excellent case to be made that this was far more about getting our military bases into the balkans than about rescuing albanians from the dreaded serbs. I'll call Kosovo a toss up.

Before WWII you actually have to go back to our own civil war.

[Big Pappa]

10. Bingo.

"As for Kosovo - there is an excellent case to be made that this was far more about getting our military bases into the balkans than about rescuing albanians from the dreaded serbs".

[phillysuse]

9. Darfur to stop a genocide

Oh, whoops, we're not doing anything in Darfur.

Nor Rwanda?

I guess we don't need to intervene when brown people WITHOUT OIL kill each other.

[otherlander]

15. Didn't we vote to send UN peacekeepers

to Darfur?

[Ian David]

12. Repairing the levees in New Orleans. n/t

[oldtimecanuk]

14. A totally honest answer is... The US civilal war and WW11 are the...

only justified wars.... IMHO....

ww

[rocktivity]

16. The Beatles' first trip to America?

rocknation

[mitchum]

18. Killing Nazis

[AnOhioan]

21. My vote goes back to WWII....

Iraq Round 2? Nope

Afghanistan? Nope

Iraq Round 1? Nope, but at least it was under UN auspices

Grenada? Nope

Panama? Nope

Kosovo? Not really a no but not a firm yes either

Vietnam? A huge nope

Korea? Nope, but again at least under the UN

There are others as well, Somalia and Lebanon that don't pass the smell test.