Syria under Bashir Assad (closed end 2014)

[Bill Moore]

I never said anything about anything being "natural." I only disliked the way the quote limited the idea of using military force as part of a collective group of way and means to pursue our national interests. Based on that quote we would never conduct a NEO action - we must be prepared to invade and control the entire country.

I didn't read it that way, this is classical so-called Powell Doctrine and a NEO is a specific task that the military can accomplish. In Lebanon the military successfully evacuated the Palestinians, but when they went back to enforce a non-existent peace agreement between the fighting parties they failed. I'm for using the military, perhaps more than we do now to achieve certain objectives. I have grown to be pretty critical our occupation/transformation efforts.