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2006-07-30 Iraq

The Iraq Paradox: Why has it been so much harder than Afghanistan?

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Posted by Mike 2006-07-30 09:07|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The situations are not that different. There are Sunni-Shiite divides in both entities. I believe that the difference with Iraq, is that weaponry and explosives were already close to front lines that were later established after the liberation. Wababi - Taliban is a Wahabi sect - terrorists in Afghanistan aren't as well stocked. However this is changing, with rising sympathy - at least in Pashto areas - for the return of Taliban. Now that Karzai is bringing back the Taliban version of the Muttawa, while allowing clerics to declare jihad in Kandahar mosques, one has to wonder why we bother remaining in that rat hole.

Posted by Snease Shaiting3550 2006-07-30 09:34|| 2006-07-30 09:34|| Front Page Top

#2 one has to wonder why we bother remaining in that rat hole.

Either we stay, or we have to go back again to root out Al Qaeda a second time after the next 9/11. That's why Oldspook is running ragged doing mysterious support thingies for his lads, and why we have Special Forces and Marines and such all over the trouble spots in Africa.

Posted by trailing wife 2006-07-30 10:44|| 2006-07-30 10:44|| Front Page Top

#3 SS: The situations are not that different.

I think infrastructure is only one of the answers. The other answer is money - Saddam had more ammo (bullets, artillery and mortar rounds) stockpiled and hidden than the entire US military. He is suspected to have billions stashed away. That's probably enough to cover his payroll for the rest of the decade. At an average of $5000 per person per year, it costs him $50m a year to pay 10,000 guerrillas every year. The standard AK rifle costs $500 tops. Ammo is dirt cheap - $0.10 per round. Say the average guerrilla uses $10000 worth of ammo a year. That's 100,000 rounds of ammo, or about 300 rounds per day. For about $150m a year, Saddam can field a full-time army of 10,000, with each guerrilla shooting off 300 rounds of 7.62mm ammo daily. If he has $5b in cash lying around, he can put the money in CD's and fund a guerrilla movement for the rest of eternity. The only question is whether he can get enough recruits. For that kind of money, I bet you can get any number of recruits from Muslim countries. The only problem they face is getting there, and the rough treatment they get from Iraqis.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2006-07-30 13:03|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2006-07-30 13:03|| Front Page Top

#4 Logistics. Its just has hard for the bad guys to get their equipment into country as for us. Only we have modern technology, an effective logistics structure to get it there, and the treasury to make it happen. Iraq is pretty much close to infrastructure drop off points in the region for easy movement of men and material from the bankers [Saudis and Iranians].

Posted by Angeatle Pheart7790 2006-07-30 13:34|| 2006-07-30 13:34|| Front Page Top

#5 Good analysis ZF and AB7790.

Posted by 11A5S 2006-07-30 15:46|| 2006-07-30 15:46|| Front Page Top

#6 Excellent post, and good comments too.

Posted by ryuge 2006-07-30 21:30|| 2006-07-30 21:30|| Front Page Top

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