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Politics : Dutch Central Bank Sale Announcement Imminent? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ahda who wrote (17825)	4/4/2003 2:55:18 PM
From: sea_urchin	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 81226

Darleen > Iraq Promises 'Unconventional' Attack Yes, I listened to the speech by the Iraqi information minister when that was mentioned but I have no idea why he said it or what it means. Even stranger, if Iraq has some tricks up its sleeve, why even mention it? And, if they don't, then why do the Iraqi leaders want to make arses of themselves by promising what they don't have? Very strange. Interesting, also, that Saddam (or his look-alike) was walking happily around Baghdad today talking to all and sundry. Quite clearly, by doing this he has refuted US suggestions that he is dead or Israeli suggestions that he has run away and is hiding at the Syrian resort of Latakia. It may be significant, however, that he did this bit of PR to coincide with the announcement of the information minister. From a tactical point-of-view, the US forces are undoubtedly at their weakest at this moment with the longest possible lines of communication and the lowest concentration of defensive forces along them. This situation is what I have read the Iraqis, in fact, wanted to achieve. So, although the US is jubilant that it is only 20 miles from Baghdad, that situation is clearly going to be very hard to maintain. One doesn't have to be a genius to see that. Clearly, the advanced units must be exhausted from all the fighting, traveling and lack of sleep. Day temperatures are 100F (38C) which is Hellish and must be impossible to endure with all the protective clothing, and especially inside armored vehicles which are made of steel. As I am sure you realize, supplies of food, water, ammunition, medical supplies and fuel etc have to be sent every day along a 350 mile route which must be an almost impossible task to defend from marauding Iraqi guerillas. In fact, I believe half a million gallons of fuel are required every day. The promised reinforcements from the US will arrive in only a few weeks. Accordingly, if was an Iraqi general and had to design a strategy to attack the US forces, I would attack the supply lines and attempt to trap the advanced units which, clearly, must be something they had in mind all along. Likewise, the US knows this too but was apparently prepared to take the gamble. Anyway, as I understand it, if the US forces did not get to Baghdad by this weekend, Rumsfeld was going to kick Tommy Franks out so he virtually had no choice. What surprises me is that, thus far, the Iraqi forces have used very few surface-to-air missiles, something which they clearly must have. In fact, the Al Samoud missiles which they had to destroy to satisfy UN regulations were built in Iraq around their larger surface-to-air missiles of Soviet design. The small, shoulder-fired SAMs were the critical weapons which destroyed the Soviet helicopters in Afghanistan and thus caused the retreat of the USSR and the ultimate failure of their campaign. For this reason, I have the feeling that Iraq has been hustling the US all along that it is weaker than it in fact is and is waiting for an opportune moment to show its real strength.