Mark Browne wrote:

"Dave Hall" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:

"thunder" wrote in message
news On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 07:11:46 -0400, Dave Hall wrote:

In Iraq, there is no superpower supplying arms to the terrorists.
Once
we cut off their supply lines completely, they'll soon be reduced to
throwing rocks.

Point taken about arms supply, but I wouldn't underestimate the power
of a
rock. A motivated and resourceful enemy will find a way to kill. I
think
this has been established in our not so distant past.

Yes. The VC moved quite a lot of material down the Ho Chi Minh trail,
with
the stuff strapped to bicycles and pushcarts. They did it wearing
sandles
and little not much else but rice.

The VC were also being covertly supplied by the former Soviets. The VC
were very determined, and resourceful. The terrorists in Iraq are likely
equally motivated and resourceful. But they lack the "man behind the
curtain" supplying them the arms.

1) Man behind the curtain - Saudi oil money - You bet the Arab kings want
the USA to fail in this adventure.

Transactions like this should be easy to trace. However, the Saudis are
in a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand, some of the more fundamental
Islamics, hate the US for what it stands for. On the other hand, the US
is their biggest customer for their oil. As much as the loss of oil
would hurt us, the loss of our dollars would equally hurt the Saudis.


2) Supply of weapons - Worlds arms market - You name it; it's for sale.

A far different cry from a country which is more than willing to supply
arms gratis, simply because they have a political stake in the outcome
(and they have a large stockpile to pull from).

For the right price, I'll bet that there are nukes for sale in the former
Soviet states. For that matter; who knows what Pakistan could do if we lean
on them hard enough on the Taliban thing.

Again, where the arms are coming from will be sporatic and expensive,
and should be tracable. If WE put pressure of the countries that supply
arms to terrorists, as well as blockade or heavily monitor the Iraqi
borders, the supply of arms will dry up.


Dave