Where does everyone stand on this? Do we support Operation Just Cause?
For those of you who don't know what it is-it is the operation to go into South East Asia, and other areas where POWs are still believed to be held even after all these years.
I support it wholeheartedly, and I wish the politicians, instead of protecting their own interests, and who constantly bullshit us by saying they are negotiating, would do somethign about bringing those boys home...
We support the notion "Leave No Man Behind" but instead, what have we done...

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"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett

I don't get this. Are you saying that there are still some POWs from the Vietnam War in "some" South-East Asian countries? So they've been there since the sixties? Won't they all be dead by now?

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„Solange man nicht mit dem Kopf unterm Arm rumläuft geht es doch noch!" Erwin Rommel

If we start sending in Special Forces, especially at this time, then it would be a foreign relations nightmare. Would we justify it by mumbling something on the "war on terror" or just give no reason other than we THINK there are people still in South-East Asia? Besides, how many POW's could still be there?

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"If your gonna buy the angel s**t, you might as well go for the zombie package as well."
-George Carlin

"LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND"
It doesn't matter If it was 40 odd years ago or what, men could still be alive and well, or even if they aren't-Overseas governments need to stop lying and send our boys back-create a new agenda-go in and get our POW/MIAs back-NOW!!!!

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"GARRY OWEN"-Traditional war-cry of the US 7th Cavalry.
"CURRAHEE"-War-cry of the US 506th PIR.
"Everybody thinks that they are going to get the chance to punch some Nazi in the face at Normandy-and those days are over, they are long gone"-Lt Chris Burnett

So you want your Government to send armed men into another country to rescue people you think might exist.

I am assuming you mean Vietnam.

Vietnam is in the process of gradual economic and political reform, sponsored by the US State Department, amongst others. Economic pressure is likley to be far more effective (Special Forces are only as your initial intelligence - an area the US is notoriously bad at - caught Bin Laden yet?) and all it needs is one man captured and you are back to square one ; only with greater international condemnation, assuming this matters.

Jumbo

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"Capital! We're nearly out of ammunition! Now we can get at them with the bayonet!" General Paddy Gough, 1st Sikh War

While I am not one to support the politicians, I do not think technically invading another country subversively is not the answer. If there is proof obtained clandestinely, use that as a forum in the UN and keep bringing more proof to put economic pressure on the offending country until they give in or the UN grants its approval for an invasion.

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

It's important to understand just how MIA statistics were obtained during the VW.
e.g., a jet flies into the side of a mountain and explodes. There are no parachutes. No body remains are recoverd. That person is listed MIA. The MIA/POW people insist that the remains of the pilot be returned, but, the Vietnamese gvmt never recovered the remains. It's assumed, then, that the pilot might be a POW.

I have nothing wrong with trying to get POW's back from anywhere.
However, in Veitnam's case...i really don't know either way...BUT i mean what would be the motivating force behind the Vietmanese Gov keeping these men? They would just be a burdon requiring lots of resources to keep them...and it would require even more to keep things under raps....PLUS after finally getting the US out of there i'm sure they wouldn't want to give the US another excuse to come back!
Also, if they were keeping them, then why would they keep it secret? They would probably want them for some blackmailing thing...but being that the war ended 30 years ago...you would think they would have done that by now.
I find it unrealistic? But then again...i don't know for sure and if there is evidence it should be investigated...but not with troops.

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Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events. -- Sir Winston Churchill