Nice war - here's the bill

From: Peter Kemp peter_n_kempathotmaildotcom


(Dav1936531) wrote:
Or, with the upcomming war against North Korea, we can just explain to the
Iraqis that they've become just too much of a drain on our resources, pull all
our forces out, and leave them to their own devices to sort out their problems.

Wow, great idea, leave a muslim country with an enmity for the US, no
central government, and an awful lot of weapons collapse in on itself.

Have you ever heard of Afghanistan and how well that went? And this
time, the Taliban Mk II would have an enormous industrial base,
immense oil reserves, and the know how in place to produce WMD (since there
don't appear to be any WMD in the country at the moment!).
Peter Kemp

I didn't say that it was a great idea or even a course of strategy that should
be attempted......bbbbuuuuuuttttttt...........the Iraqis may get left holding
the short end of the stick should problems arise that require US resources to
be dedicated somewhere else. That is why the Iraqis themselves (at least the
ones who care about the future of Iraq) should be working at full speed to
cooperate with US attempts to root out the terrorists and former Bathist
elements and to set up a working democratic system of self government. Iraq
might just find itself at the bottom of a long list of US priorities.

In regards Afghanistan, the place surely became a hell-hole due to lack of US
attention subsequent to their war against the Soviets, however, until such time
as the place was used as a base by Osama and his gang to attack the US, the
place held little strategic interest to the US.

And once it was of strategic interest (9-11 attack), US military might made
short work of clearing out the Taliban.....just like we can make short work of
destroying whatever rears up in Iraq should we leave. (Yes I realize the
situation in Afghanistan is ongoing and that US might alone was not solely
responsible for the Taliban's defeat.)

The Iarqi Air Force and air defense system no longer exits. Whatever arises in
Iraq, if the US does pull out, is right in the cross hairs of the US Air Force
which will be able to operate with almost complete impunity in Iraqi airspace.
Ditto Iraq's armored forces.....command and control.....etc., etc.
Dave

On 10 Sep 2003 00:30:00 GMT, (Dav1936531) wrote:

snip

In regards Afghanistan, the place surely became a hell-hole due to lack of US
attention subsequent to their war against the Soviets, however, until such time
as the place was used as a base by Osama and his gang to attack the US, the
place held little strategic interest to the US.

Well, perhaps that's the problem. The Embassy bombings in 1998 were
less than a decade after the Soviets pulled out, and only since the
Taliban took over in what, 1996? was the place open for Osama and his
pals. So less than two years from base to boom. And that's in a
country racked by 15 years plus of warfare, no resources, and no
access to the sea (very useful for getting people and things around).

Do we really want to hope Iraq doesn't go downhill even faster?

The Iarqi Air Force and air defense system no longer exits. Whatever arises in
Iraq, if the US does pull out, is right in the cross hairs of the US Air Force
which will be able to operate with almost complete impunity in Iraqi airspace.
Ditto Iraq's armored forces.....command and control.....etc., etc.
Dave

It's not the conventional weapons of war that concern me. It's the
hundreds of thousands of trained troops, a large fraction of which
will have the knowhow to build bombs (not IEDs, but real, nasty
weapons, like the one that severely damaged the UN building), and a
lot of whom are not particularly fond of the US (and the UK, but to a
much lesser degree for various reasons).

I just hope I'm wrong, and that Iraq will settle down very quickly,
and we'll all live happily ever after.

Peter Kemp

In article ,
Peter Kemp peter_n_kempathotmaildotcom wrote:

It's not the conventional weapons of war that concern me. It's the
hundreds of thousands of trained troops, a large fraction of which
will have the knowhow to build bombs (not IEDs, but real, nasty
weapons, like the one that severely damaged the UN building), and a
lot of whom are not particularly fond of the US (and the UK, but to a
much lesser degree for various reasons).

Don't worry about it.

The standard of training for most Iraqi troops was so pathetic that I
sorta *hope* the renegade types are out there trying to make bombs.
We'll be able to find them by the smoking craters that will appear
wherever their workshops were.

--


Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 02:42:47 GMT, Chad Irby wrote:

In article ,
Peter Kemp peter_n_kempathotmaildotcom wrote:

It's not the conventional weapons of war that concern me. It's the
hundreds of thousands of trained troops, a large fraction of which
will have the knowhow to build bombs (not IEDs, but real, nasty
weapons, like the one that severely damaged the UN building), and a
lot of whom are not particularly fond of the US (and the UK, but to a
much lesser degree for various reasons).

Don't worry about it.

The standard of training for most Iraqi troops was so pathetic that I
sorta *hope* the renegade types are out there trying to make bombs.
We'll be able to find them by the smoking craters that will appear
wherever their workshops were.

I take it you've not been keeping track of the news? Several intact
bomb makers and bomb making labs seized, no reports of own goals. You
may be overstating the case somewhat.

Peter Kemp

In article ,
Peter Kemp peter_n_kempathotmaildotcom wrote:

On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 02:42:47 GMT, Chad Irby wrote:

Don't worry about it.

The standard of training for most Iraqi troops was so pathetic that I
sorta *hope* the renegade types are out there trying to make bombs.
We'll be able to find them by the smoking craters that will appear
wherever their workshops were.

I take it you've not been keeping track of the news? Several intact
bomb makers and bomb making labs seized, no reports of own goals. You
may be overstating the case somewhat.

The labs and bombers that have been "in play" have been the leftover
Saudis, Syrians, and other "hired guns" that the Hussein regime kept
in-country. The ones who have been causing the most trouble are, for
the most part, foreign to Iraq.

Note also that there just haven't been that many attacks (and they're
getting less and less common as time goes by). One or two bombs, but
they just don't have the talent pool to draw on to make a concerted
effort.

--


Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

In message , Peter Kemp
writes
On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 02:42:47 GMT, Chad Irby wrote:
The standard of training for most Iraqi troops was so pathetic that I
sorta *hope* the renegade types are out there trying to make bombs.
We'll be able to find them by the smoking craters that will appear
wherever their workshops were.

I take it you've not been keeping track of the news? Several intact
bomb makers and bomb making labs seized, no reports of own goals. You
may be overstating the case somewhat.

Well, the Guardian did a detailed report following up one own-goal: a
local criminal and tough guy blew himself and three friends up while
showing off the bomb he was going to kill some Americans with. So, the
Iraqi 'resistance' *are* losing a few to their own IEDs. Trouble is, the
rate's not high enough to prevent a lot of attempts and some successes.

--
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
W S Churchill

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk

On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 21:24:34 +0100, "Paul J. Adam"
wrote:

In message , Peter Kemp
writes
On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 02:42:47 GMT, Chad Irby wrote:
The standard of training for most Iraqi troops was so pathetic that I
sorta *hope* the renegade types are out there trying to make bombs.
We'll be able to find them by the smoking craters that will appear
wherever their workshops were.

I take it you've not been keeping track of the news? Several intact
bomb makers and bomb making labs seized, no reports of own goals. You
may be overstating the case somewhat.

Well, the Guardian did a detailed report following up one own-goal: a
local criminal and tough guy blew himself and three friends up while
showing off the bomb he was going to kill some Americans with. So, the
Iraqi 'resistance' *are* losing a few to their own IEDs. Trouble is, the
rate's not high enough to prevent a lot of attempts and some successes.

Bomber own goals are perhaps the sweetest form of poetic justice.
Always leaves a smile on my face, right up there with suicide bombers
who fail to take anyone with them.

Peter Kemp