Sending B2 bombers to blow up monkey bars?

[Anonymous]

By now, everyone's seen video of the Al Queda group training on elementry school monkey bars. Add a few buildings, a chalkboard, a shooting range and you've got a "terrorist training compound." Is this evacuated compound worth a B2 bomber flying from the United States? With maintenance those missions must cost $10s of millions.

This isn't Iraq. Al Queda doesn't have 500 million dollar command and control centers with super computers. They don't have billion dollar radars systems. Iraqi's cared that their precious systems were destroyed. Al Queda probably doesn't.

Not getting off to a good start if you ask me.

[Aaron Brachowitz]

There is a comical aspect to it -- the military equipment we're employing probably has a greater dollar value than every thing of value in Afghanistan.

But these are the tools we have, the products of decisions made decades ago, so this is what we use. There is value in making them keep their heads down or forcing them to flee to less friendly areas -- they can't plan or conduct jihad while they're ducking bombs and cruise missiles. This war will be fought for many years and I would hope that we will develop new equipment, force structures and strategy to fight it rather than doing everything off-the-shelf.

[Anonymous]

The more meaningful comparison would be the $ value of the missiles vs. the $ (and other) value of the next US target that would be hit if we don't act.

[Anonymous]

VOR: I see the irony in your chosen username...