[BGB] US forces vs. latest ATGM's?

[tballou at comcast.net]

Good question...

I have been reading Tom Rick's 'Fiasco' book over the last week.  Really an excellent read.  From his take on it, the inital arming of the insurgents came from local arms caches that where scattered all over Iraq.   His book has an intersting discussion on why that happened.  

I know the Iranian are sending those shaped charge AT mines that can smoke a M1, but I think you are right, the Russians don't want to be caught with their hands in the cookie jar, and will not allow the reselling (or gifting) of the weapons to the Iraqi insurgents.   

I'm willing to bet the Russians where as surprized as Hezbola of the Israeli reaction to the Hezbola raid.  I doubt they wanted thier toys to be played with either.  But as tradtional suppliers to the middle east, they have plausible deniablility that those weapons came from unauthorized secondary sources.

--Tom 

--
*************************************************************

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president,
 or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is
 not only unpatriotic, and servile, but is morally treasonable
 to the American public."

--Theodore Roosevelt

"Never drive a car when you're dead."

--Tom Waits "Telephone Call From Istanbul"

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 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Sam Scott" <Samuel_Scott at pem.org>
> http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/Anti-Tank_Weapons_Inflict_Heavy_
> Losses_on_Israeli_Army.php
> 
> Reading this article about the IDF experience in Lebanon got me thinking
> about how lucky our troops are that these weapons do not seem to have
> gotten to the various insurgent forces in Iraq.  Vehicles like the
> Stryker and the LAV might not seem like such a hot idea in the face of
> these kind of missiles.  Obviously, the terrain advantage that Hezbollah
> has in Leb helps mitigate IDF control of the air and that might not
> translate to the Iraqi theatre.  But why do you suppose we haven't been
> facing these kinds of weapons?  Is is because Iran and Russia make sure
> that they don't get into the hands on anyone likely to be shooting at
> American forces?
> 
> -S
> 
> 



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