[Seascamp]

........that would work as a temporary measure and there would be momentary peace, maybe. But just like that kid?s game we played where ya hit the last peg on the board and the rest pop up again, so goes the mid-east. What we are seeing is one more version of the perennial and forever war between the Shiites and Sunni Moslems with the radicals within each faction trying to get yet another civil war/religious war going. There was a reason why Saddam has such intense internal security and overwhelming military/security centered within the Sunni faction and squashed the Shiites like so many nasty insects every time they popped their heads up. Now we are getting introduced to that reason and the ugly, vicious mid-east hydra. The last big flail was between Saddam and the emerging Shiite Islamic revolution in Iran and according to the digits and stats, well over a million Iraqi/Iranian troops died in that WWI-like trench war.

I could be wrong on the exact name but I think it was called the ?Tiger Battalion? and these were Shiite Iranian youths that were all jacked up on religious fervor, given a green plastic key; allegedly the key to heaven, then promptly sent off to the front to clear minefields and attempt to run the Iraqi machine gunners out of ammo. Of course they did this my just running through the mine field or charging an auto weapons position in mass. The Tiger Battalion was never given any weapons training or weapons and the mission was all up-front but they seemed to have no recruiting problems at all. Now that is some scary stuff for sure, but reality.

So I?d say the Marines that have the Shiites cornered best bring up lots of ammo, extra barrels and have some mean-ass chopper gun ships and low flying strike jets close at hand. Better yet, maybe find some old A1 Sky raiders and pilots, load em up and cut em loose. I was always totally impressed with the A1 ?flying dump truck? and the way it could hang in there with the troops and deliver a rocket into a water bucket, time and time again, all day long and all night long if necessary. Nothing like them A1 recip engine prop jobs for troop support when the going gets real mean, down and dirty, yikes!!!!! :ek:

Scamp