asymetric warfare

pervect wrote:

"Reconstruction" is
apparently not reconstructing very much at the moment (almost no power
in Iraq, water shortages, etc. from an article I recently read)

That's what you get for trusting journalists... Or do you *really*
expect such a large task to be accomplished in time for the 6 o'clock
news?

D.
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The STS-107 Columbia Loss FAQ can be found
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In message , Derek Lyons
writes
pervect wrote:
"Reconstruction" is
apparently not reconstructing very much at the moment (almost no power
in Iraq, water shortages, etc. from an article I recently read)

That's what you get for trusting journalists... Or do you *really*
expect such a large task to be accomplished in time for the 6 o'clock
news?

Issues like "25% of Basra still without running water"... true, except
those houses were never plumbed in the first place! Putting water back
in the pipes is one job, building pipes that weren't there before is a
bigger step.

The idea that every Iraqi household enjoyed plentiful clean, pure water;
magnificent sanitation; and ample electrical power; just ain't so.

--
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

In article ,
"Paul J. Adam" wrote:

Issues like "25% of Basra still without running water"... true, except
those houses were never plumbed in the first place! Putting water back
in the pipes is one job, building pipes that weren't there before is a
bigger step.

The idea that every Iraqi household enjoyed plentiful clean, pure water;
magnificent sanitation; and ample electrical power; just ain't so.

Power generation in Iraq is equal, right now, to the peak before the
war, and by the summer they're planning on about a 50% increase, while
revamping the distribution system.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

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

"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...
pervect wrote:

"Reconstruction" is
apparently not reconstructing very much at the moment (almost no power
in Iraq, water shortages, etc. from an article I recently read)

That's what you get for trusting journalists... Or do you *really*
expect such a large task to be accomplished in time for the 6 o'clock
news?

Even more funny--IIRC the power output and distribution capability surpassed
that of pre-OIF Iraq a couple of months back.

Brooks

D.
--
The STS-107 Columbia Loss FAQ can be found
at the following URLs:

Text-Only Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq.html

Enhanced HTML Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq_x.html

Corrections, comments, and additions should be
e-mailed to , as well as posted to
sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle for
discussion.

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 05:56:55 -0500, Cub Driver
wrote:

Well, it could slip a few million dollars to a charismatic religious
leader to carry out terrorist attacks on New York City.

It could also develop weapons of mass destruciton, or pretend to be
doing so.

And it could buy billions of dollars of weaponry and associated
materials from France, Germany, and Russia, so as to keep those
countries in its pocket.

And it could end up ****ing the Americans off to the point where they
launch an invasion, kick the crap out of its army, seize control of
the country, and end up dragging its leader out of a hole in the
ground. So the above doesn't seem to have been exactly a winning
strategy :P

--
"Sore wa himitsu desu."
To reply by email, remove
the small snack from address.
http://www.esatclear.ie/~rwallace

(Derek Lyons) wrote:
"Jarg" wrote:
An interesting if, but the Soviets, though at an apparent disadvantage,
weren't faced with such overwhelming military power, and had a history of
successfully repelling invaders.

The Russians could, and on multiple occasions did, trade space for
time, forcing the invader endure their winter. No other nation shares
this unique combination of vast space for mobilty with climactic
advantages.

Canada? The original question was about a "mid-tier" country; didn't specify
whether that meant tech level or size or population or what.

I'm told North Korea did something similar in the Korean War, despite having
much less space. Withdraw, leading US forces up into a valley, and
counter-attack with forces and winter.

Alaska in a secession war? Actually that might be a more interesting
candidate for this scenario than "Elbonia". Say the Free State Project went
there instead of New Hampshire, and actually took off. We're probably still
dealing with a relatively pipsqueak population, barring a boom or two, but
could they make it too expensive to keep them by force? It didn't work in the
Civil War but (a) tech has changed (b) the geography is different and (c) the
rest of the US may not have the same tolerance of casualties, especially when
a moral issue like slavery isn't on the table.

Moving beyond winter to other "mid-tier" scenarios: California trying to
secede from a theocratic US. A militaristic US invading Canada or Mexico,
with the invadees having had time to build up defenses as they saw the
militaristic party take hold (invasion could be for conquest, or in response
to Canada legalizing drugs, or being a haven to resistance within a theocratic
US.) Australia becoming a drug and cloning haven. War with Indonesia for
some reason...

Basically, can a small or lower-tech democracy with non-corrupt government and
motivated citizenry make invasion too expensive to work?

-xx- Damien X-)

"Damien R. Sullivan" wrote in message
...
(Derek Lyons) wrote:
"Jarg" wrote:
An interesting if, but the Soviets, though at an apparent disadvantage,
weren't faced with such overwhelming military power, and had a history
of
successfully repelling invaders.

The Russians could, and on multiple occasions did, trade space for
time, forcing the invader endure their winter. No other nation shares
this unique combination of vast space for mobilty with climactic
advantages.

Canada? The original question was about a "mid-tier" country; didn't
specify
whether that meant tech level or size or population or what.

I'm told North Korea did something similar in the Korean War, despite
having
much less space. Withdraw, leading US forces up into a valley, and
counter-attack with forces and winter.

Not a very accurate example. The DPRK did NOT lure US forces
northwards--they instead were sent reeling northward (they had no other
direction to run). They were saved from outright annihilation by the timely
intervention of the PLA, which apparently did not intend to enter the fray
unless UN forces approached the Yalu. Some indications are that the PLA even
tried to signal the UN, and MacArthur, of their intent in an effort to get
him to stop short of the Yalu. In the end the DPRK did nothing much in terms
of a CATK--that was the screaming hordes of the PLA. What DPRK forces that
remained (either dead or already in UN PW camps) would have to lick their
wounds for a while before reentering the combat picture in any forcable
manner.

Brooks

snip strange what-if's

"Damien R. Sullivan" wrote in message
...


I'm told North Korea did something similar in the Korean War, despite
having
much less space. Withdraw, leading US forces up into a valley, and
counter-attack with forces and winter.


Not exactly, they were routed and withdrawing in a
panic when the Chinese intervened, it was the
army of the PRC that launched the counterattack.


Keith

On 2004/01/18 10:05, in article , "Damien
R. Sullivan" wrote:


Basically, can a small or lower-tech democracy with non-corrupt government and
motivated citizenry make invasion too expensive to work?

Possibly not today, but back in 1776....



Jack

(Damien R. Sullivan) nattered on
:

to secede from a theocratic US. A militaristic US invading Canada or
Mexico, with the invadees having had time to build up defenses as they
saw the militaristic party take hold (invasion could be for conquest,


Essentially fall back out of the northern regions and force a jungle
fight, in Mexico's case.