"Are we winning or losing the war on terror?

Losing, whilst we have a multi non-intregrated tribal society.

Dressed up with the quaint, la-de-da sounding word, Multi-cultural.

All over the world in refugee camps there are millions of people(refugees),
fleeing or rather being driven off their land by hostile, territorial,religious or ethnic tribes. And still we bring in the tribes.
Of course we will lose.
Yes religions are tribes when they don't marry outside their religion, they very quickly in a couple of generations develop
close tribal bloodline.

Doctor Suter,

Surely many people can see the quickest way to overcome IS would be to support Syria and the Assad family regime. And I realize that would mean Russia and Iran would join the team to achieve peace.

Some time ago I asked a Syrian living in Australia, what Bashar al-Assad was really like, and the immediate answer was, "Well he got the Muslims and Christians together".

It may take a dictatorial regime to control peace among extremists from so many different tribes and religious beliefs.

I think there is need for an urgent rethink about IS and the Middle East situation, due to Ebola virus.

It is obvious there can be no real control of Ebola if Middle East and other fighting and war escalates, including perhaps worldwide.

Meanwhile I see Turkey has ideas of it's own and escalation of war may be imminent, if there is no critically urgent rethink.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a0da17d2-4d71-11e4-bf60-00144feab7de.html#axzz3FV8KRyyo

"It may take a dictatorial regime to control peace among extremists from so many different tribes and religious beliefs."

JF Aus, stand up and take a bow. That is the most intelligent thing I've read in the comments section for a long, long time, in fact since the mindless 'Bomb-em, Yanks' brigade gained the ascendancy.

Why don't you send the sentence to the White House? Most of the folk there are clueless, I know, but I live in hopes!

David,

Brainless. Do you think that Turkey and the Saudis will stand by and let ISIS be destroyed ? Isn't this the point of Obama's dilemma ? That he can't let ISIS win in Syria, (if that looked like happening, Iran would be in like a shot, and Hezbollah: then it would be on), but he can't let Assad win either (Turkey and the Saudis would move in, and then Iran and Hezbollah yada yada).

So the Progressive Coalition has to carefully calibrate their attempt to control and degrade ISIS: it can't kill either of the monsters, otherwise their ghastly parents would step in, from one side or another, and quickly therefore, from both sides.

And if an all-out war was thus provoked between the Saudis and Iran and, as would be most likely, Iran started to prevail, the Saudis would call on their Pakistani allies, with their nuclear weapons. Upon which the Iranians would call on their Indian allies, with their nuclear weapons.

And that's assuming that there won't be revolts amongst the Sunni-Shia minorities in all of the countries in the Middle East. And let's not even talk about Russia's role in supporting Assad and Iran.

So Obama has to keep the potential for a world war confined to Iraq (where he has to eliminate ISIS, to keep Iran out) and Syria (where he has to degrade it, keep it degraded but not eliminated, to keep the Saudis out).

In his referee's role, he may need some time. We should wish him well because it is well and truly our fight too. Don't kid yourself, David.

Joe

I think I agree with JF Aus. I do not think we owe any of them anything
such as loyalty etc.
The only worry I see is it might be worse if you support a minority over a majority.

The Shiia are just as mad as the Sunni, so it maybe out of the frying pan into the fire.

Ebola, Ebola, Ebola, Ebola, think about Ebola.
Ebola can easily kill more people worldwide than nuclear war.
Ebola has potential to kill over half of the world's human population including OLO authors retired in the hills.
Ebola virus in a lipstick container in a subway could cause terror in an entire city and country.
Think again.
Think quickly.
Make peace like it has never been made before.