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What would be the odds of a double attack from Syria and Iran on our troops in Iraq? Syria just removed troops from Lebanon and Iran has been blustering here lately. Could Iran want a preemptive strike on us before we/Israel hits them. Iran & Syria have got to know their time is coming. Sounds crazy but hey, so did moving an entire naval fleet across the Pacific undetected to attack Hawaii or 19 terrorists using airliners to attack us.

Syria's not going to attack us, because they've got a little neighbor called Israel with 20 divisions of first rate soldiers on their border. Even if Israel sits the fight out and makes like a brick wall, Syria would be like a little guy being mugged in an alley.

Iran, on the other hand, has a lot of stuff going on internally that wouldn't be helped by foriegn adventurism, especially against the U.S. If certain units most loyal to the Ayallolahs were to be wiped out, it would be hard enough to keep social order, much less maintain offensive operations against a high tech enemy on three borders.

We don't really have the manpower to occupy Iran and Syria, but we have more than enough firepower to break off whatever they throw at us.

Yes it is a fair question, something we should be prepared for. But if they try it we can certainly take them. Their armies are based on Russian tank formations and they can't provide them air cover. The terrain can't protect large armor formations from air attack. Meanwhile our technical superiority in heavy armor fighting is so vast, we took out an Iraqi army of literally thousands of heavy armor systems for total armored vehicle losses in the low two digits. (This is largely due to better vision and sensor systems, but also due to M-1 armor).

They might try to flood light infantry into the country to create a policing problem. But the thing is, guerilla actions require a high degree of motivation and decentralized initiative. Not things they regulars can be expected to deliver, once beyond the range of immediate punishment by superior officers. Hard core activists they can infiltrate, and already are. But those are one in a hundred compared to draftees.

Iran can make other sorts of trouble, in the Persian gulf for example. But Syria being involved does not help them there. (It is largely a navy and naval air issue - to keep the straits of Hormuz open I mean). And Syria has to worry about Israel as well, if they get involved in an open conventional fight with us. All of this is in addition to the obvious strategic problem - they can't stop our air force and cruise missile strike ability from setting off 2000 lb bombs anywhere we please inside their countries. Including their governments and command facilities.