Iraq secretly bought 1,000 Kornet missiles: Pentagon (those M1A1s WERE hit by Kornets!)

The Economic Times ^ | MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2003 10:30:08 AM | The Economic Times

[hchutch]

I'm not sure if I have the number of divisions right or the number of BMPs per division correct, but if my ROUGH guesses are any indication, the Syrians could channel a TON of stuff to the Iraqis, and the Russians would get the blame if we were to rush to judgement on this. If the hand were to be played right, it would be perfect.

The onyl thing was I expected the Syrians to be slipping a lot of hand-me downs to Saddam, NOT stuff that's pretty new.

[Terriergal]

Time to get that northern/northeastern border sealed....

[PhilDragoo]

ELVIS IS FIGHTING ON OUR SIDE!

[hchutch]

Yeah, but if those CH-46 deathtraps are still around...

And even the Israelis might need fire support. :)

[PhilDragoo]

Russia sells arms to anyone who is against us.

Su-27s, Su-30s, Sovremennyys, Moskits, Kilos, etc. to our good friends and strategic allies in Beijing.

[PhilDragoo]

The Russians are not cowards.

Yet they conceal their sales to China.

[Poohbah]

Actually, they wouldn't.

The Syrian army is fairly powerful, IF it is concentrated. If they try to be strong on the Golan, the Mediterranean coast of Syria, AND the Syrian-Iraqi border, they're screwed, blewed, and tattooed six ways to Sunday.

[PhilDragoo]

I agree with you. Russia and France never sold "directly" (key word their people)to Iraq in the last 12 years.

William Saffire's NYT articles "French Connection I & II" demonstrated the cutouts used by France and China in arming Iraq.

[Poohbah]

Russia sells arms to anyone who is against us.

Su-27s, Su-30s, Sovremennyys, Moskits, Kilos, etc. to our good friends and strategic allies in Beijing.

That's because Clinton isn't selling them W-88s any longer.

Why does Russia arm our enemies?

Because our enemies can't buy American-made gear.

[hchutch]

Don't forget Lebanon.

Nice amount of coastline, and occupied by Syria, IIRC.

[Poohbah]

Lousy roadnet headed inshore.

Let 'em stick as many troops as they want there, they won't be able to get 'em back out without the mother of all f***in' traffic jams.

[hchutch]

And even then, the same may be against the express wishes of the government.

Why? Some mafiya goon has made an offer that couldn't be refused.

[PhilDragoo]

"Saddam Hussein's irregulars have adopted tricks from the Somali guerrillas, including firing from behind groups of women and children."

Another stroke of Arab bravery.

Then they fire mortars and machine guns at the thousands of men, women and children fleeing Basrah.

There is no death horrible enough to be just punishment for these criminals.

[hchutch]

True, but just the fact that you could hit through Lebanon... that adds to the coastline even more, and the Syrians would be forces to violate the principle of Mass (from the nine principles that a guy named Fuller outlined early in the last century) even more...

You split up the Syrian army and defeat it in detail. :)

[Poohbah]

Make the Syrians think you're headed back to Lebanon--GOOD.

Actually trying to head back to Lebanon--only good if the Syrians don't take your bait.

[hchutch]

Now, what could do a VERY good job of selling a move to Lebanon and getting the Syrians to bite on such a decoy...

Hmm... how did we freeze numerous Iraqi divisions in Gulf War I, aka Desert Storm?

We parked a couple of ships off the coast and had `em start pounding the CRAP out of some positions. Got to the point where the Iraqi troops surrendered to a drone!

[Poohbah]

Problem is, we don't have until 2005 to get those ships into something resembling seaworthiness, and we can't afford another PR problem from a powder explosion.

[sport]

They were protesting to albright.

A complete and total waste of time.

They could have spent the time used in composing and drafting the letter going out in the street and looking at the girl's legs and gotten the same results.

[sport]

This was when bill clinton was President.

Are you surprised?

[archy]

Many are angry that Putin has not come on board the Iraqi Express. I am too and afraid that this will weaken US/Russian ties. But I also remember Russia did not want us bombing Serbia and it was right about that.

I remember too the events of 1979, when Jimmy Carter and Zbiegniew Brezinski began giving Afghani jihadists weapons and training with which to kill Russians and down their aircraft. And now, since December 1994, the Russians have had troops battling the moslim jihadists in Chechnya. It appears we have some catching up to do with those who recognized their real enemies sooner.

-archy-/-