Albert Schweitzer

I think in reality noone cheers. I think it is the "hell I am still alive, threat is dead" feeling!

Breathing techniques will always be taught, no matter what aircraft and high tech gizmos are invented. You'd be in a world of poo if you didn't know how to breathe properly in the right situations  You know some are born with the natural skill of breathing!

I very much agree with the theory!  But in practice  How many soldiers alltogether would you need to prevent Baathists from finding unprotected targets? doubling the amount of troops would be unaffordable and still not even 10% of all potential  and sensitive targets could be protected. Right now more of the iraqi troops are resigning than new recruits are signing up for it. The coalition administration is incapable to properly pay their salaries. For someone to resign from his job during the current economical situation in Iraq that must come after lot of frustration and administrational incompetence! My point remains. The Army cant fix or administer things! They are not trained for it. Now you need specialists. Soldiers are capable to fight wars but for deascalation ?  and for solving logistical problems?  for  paperwork in arabic? Fixing the enormous amount of civil data from the previous administration? And No!! the minimum age of 25 and a little "my friends from Iraq" cultural guide wont change that, neither a healthy amount of common sense, Soldiers cannot do the job. I agree that reparation teams and all the other specialists involved in fixing Iraq need protection. But after that job is done you cant  just leave a soldier there to protect that target untill all Baathists died because of age. Even a iraqi soldier would be too expensive for that. And even if you protect these targets...then this might even put it in MORE risk since most targets of attacks are the soldiers themselves. My point remains. Let specialists from all over the world enter IRAQ and do the job nobody else can do better. You ccannot DRAFT specialists, you gotta offer them a deal. Once you do that you will soon have a prosperous Iraq where a general civil life-satisfaction could reduce resistance. Reduce combat troops! Reduce the amount of tanks and all the other heavy combat machinery (and their millions of maintenance workers) and use the money for civil specialists. Offer them 24h protection, good salary and future deals! Get retired administrational workers to Iraq, let them fix the paperwork! But Bush plays a stupid game. He asks the world to help him! YES... to help HIM! Cause if it wouldnt be about HIM then he would give more power to the UN. But as long as Iraq remains an american oil-colony noone wants to spend money on it. Consequently the required specialists wont come. The poor iraqis are not even entitled to get the cheapest or world's best companies to fix their infrastructure since only coalition countries are allowed to sign deals. (oh great, Some folks from some TukaTaka islands are realy skilled in fixing oil-pipelines and pharmaceutical factories. They probably try to build compressors out of coconut shells! Okay well I am exaggerating.. but in the end there are not realy many countries to choose from). I dont realy like the french either  (just kiddin) but they are with no doubt by FAR the most experienced in the field of investing into simillar countries like Iraq. May it be oil, may it be diamonds...or may it be building roads and factories, keeping the french away is not only arrogant from the US but silly and irresponsible behaviour considering what is at stake! Sincerely, Prime Minister of foreign investments of the Republic of TukaTaka Island HEY YOU...YES YOU YOU HAVE READ ONLY A FEW LINES OF MY POST AND SKIPPED THE REST. HOW RUDE!!! SHAME ON YOU..NOW SCROLL UP AND READ THE REST...AND NEVER EVER DARE NOT TO READ MY COMMENTS AGAIN .. OR YOU WILL BE SEND TO IRAQ TO PAINT PIPELINES!!

Only the pilots of the Typhoon can take 9g and due to their improved compression suit they can take it for more than just a moment, so no hardcore maneuver is limited by the pilots endurance anymore. In fact the breathing exercise in order not to faint is no longer required. It is the only plane so far with this capabilities. For the rest of the F15 pilots it is still: breath it....hold air...breath out!

Some humorous answers please. How I got the idea to post this thread? Today I was standing and watching the beach and the sea. I was astonished how realistic the waves looked and tried to compare it with OFP. It made me think about all the last games that had been published and I tried to remember the game that had created waves and water which most resembeled what I was looking at. MOHAA wasnt bad, Battelfield 19xx even better. "what a neird I am" I thought, "here I have the real sea, real waves, real salt water" and I think about computer games?" Sad enough!!!

There are many advantages. One very clear one is that you need only 500m to stop instead of 2500. Take off the same. Anyhow, for the rest just read the article!!! Â

Now that makes me furious. A few years ago we had tons of muslims attacking our Constitution and enforcing that all Jesus-crosses must be taken out of our school-rooms (yes, even the tiny ones on the wall) now it backfires on them. I take off my cross of jesus if the girl takes off her scarf. Fair enough! Stop whining dear muslims, you started the battle! Â And since when is the scarf a religious obligation. It is nothing else than a very strange interpretation of the Koran.

I dont think they will be given too many deadly toys in the near future.

Not quite true. At least not for germany. I dont know if you speak german but have a look at this ... no wait..before a little american source for you. Is BOEING,com reliable enough???BOEING.com but now for the germans! Site. which is the most popular magazine for professionals and defense related industries. For the ones that do speak german read the following To explain it to you. In 2002 a new software has been implemented into the x-31 Vector. And tests are STILL being conducted. This plane is being modified and fed with the newest software (of which most was far from being possible in 1995) and companies are still involved in developing related components. It is an experimental plane, but developed uniquely for military purposes. Amen! Â Want more proof. Here you got an example of 2003. read this YOu better believe it cause one day that plane is gonna bite your wings off!!!

One thing I would like to add here. Sure the x-31 is an experimental plane. Not hard to guess cause all X is nothing else than the specifiction for an experiment, but so were the stealth bombers as well! The x-31 has indeed the highest amount of maneuverability of all planes, also of those in planing. This plane has a clear constructional advantage and this will certainly be implemented into upcoming fighter planes. Anyhow, I havent heard anything about x-31 project being stoped. I can show you recent pictures and articles about it! The Typhoon is faster than the Raptor and it has limited stealth capabilities too (but not invisible like the Raptor). One thing you people seem to forget is once the Raptor is involved in combat it will loose stealth capabilities. This is due to the fact that guns and rockets are in stealth pockets which need to be opened to be able to fire. Once that happens the invisibility is gone. Denoir, speed is very important. Not for range but for Air to Air combat. The old game of who gets behind who still exists. At least that is what they said on discovery channel yesterday!

Yes, you are absolutely right. I should have mentioned that one too. No doubt!

The electricity supply and other esential services are the target of the terrorists as well. You cant cook food cause no electricity or fuel so "existential needs" You misread Maslow there. Food in your fridge goes off real quick. Hospitals dont work and dont think Iraqis are from the stone age they are one of the most advanced cultures in the Middle East so; they dont live some hand to mouth agrarian existance where millions can live off the land. That is the Phol Pot year one falicy. They are a modern state if you take away their electricity and infrastucture people die. They are affected by loss of power as much as any NY citizen who lives in a rich apartment overlooking central park. If your quoting Maslow you must at least done some higher eduction. Baghdad is like London. It is the capitol of a modern state with very few differences. Fast Food, computers, red tape traffic jams etc. The tactics of terrorism are to disrupt society. The methods that can beat it are those that improve social activity and prevent the disruption. As to Coalition soldiers in body bags, get used to it you can not fight wars on the cheap and that obviously includes lives. Pulling out would mean that a blood bath. I have made my thoughts on the going to war clear but they do not alter the need for a force to stay there to correct the error. Would I prefer it was under the UN? Yes but they aint going in under TBA's rules I made it clear the country needs rebuilding and that the soldiers need to speek Arabic and understand the culture to act as a police force. Are TBA dragging their feet on rebuilding Iraq? Yes. Do I think there is a lot of pocket linning going on at the expence of the Iraqis? Yes. The snipers point was in reply to something said by crazysheep read back in the thread the dates are there. Kind Regards Walker Now I am confused. Do we agree that electricity and gas ARE INDEED existential needs for iraqis? I do believe so! That exactly was my point. Furthermore my point was: Rebuilding right now is more important than fighting Baathist resistance. This is where the money should go!

That is a very limited argumentation, considering you are spending QUITE A LOT OF MONEY Is this what you would write into your anual financial defense statement? Are you gonna say: "it came with free fries"?

No, Albert, you are very wrong. The issue in Iraq is security. Not security as in preventing attacks on US soldiers, but in basic civil security. Iraq is in a complete mess regarding the civil services. Crime is up beyond comperhension. People are afraid to send their kids to school. Foregin help organizations won't set a foot in Iraq. And this security problem can only be solved by more soldiers (and in the future a working police force). The Iraqi people just want to live a normal life as they are used to. They want safety, electricity, water and hospitals. They don't get it now and that's also the biggest regional concern. If the coallition can't provide it, the common people will turn against them and then you have a really big problem. There needs to be a soldier on every street corner to restore normal life to Iraq. Fine, and you think Baghdad is like London, you put a Bobby on every corner and criminality will go down? I doubt that resistance can be minimised by such an simplistic approach. Maybe it works, who knows, but considering the time it will cost I believe the iraqis might loose patience before. And as I said, that you better dont risk.

Well I think Bad boys II wasnt so bad! I think it was pretty reasonable in action and humour And the ladies!

SOOOOO wrong. you just dont see it. sure you are right,. a larger army means better supervision...BUT the threat right now is not the guerilla itself, but the risk that the civillian population might switch sympathy. A guerilla can kill one us-soldier per day, but if you face a jihad, then you better increase your stock of body-bags. i feel like you havent realy understood what the risk is right now. I personally care little about the attacks on US soldiers, this is just some silly little war of Baathists and coalition forces. I care about the future stability of the entire middle east. The problem is that you people are so determined that if you kill the enemy the rain will stop and the sun will come out and iraq will turn into paradise. It is time the coalition forces see that their enemy is time and not the Baath party. the Iraqi people are giving the US time to proof that they will fix more than they destroyed. People are being patient, they know that the US is the strongest and richest country in the world and if someone can fix their country, then it is definetly USA. But if they see that their country remains in disorder their patience will turn into anti-americanism. And then the Baath Party is a fiddlers fart compared to the attacks your troops might face from civillian resistance fighters. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Your have two alternatives. 1. You first try to break down the attacks of baathists to reduce the (relatively small) amount of coalition casualties. or 2. You ensure that the Iraqi people get what they demand or soon the word Iraq will soon create the same taste in your mouth as the word Vietnam. That isnt just a bad slogan, that is the culture of the arab world. And the stubborness of muslims can be seen in the Israel conflict. So what is more important? Safety or existential needs such as electricity and gas. More money for more military or more money for more reconstructional works? Maybe you should have a look at maslows law! More soldiers can prevent people from smuggling weapons? sounds logical but isnt. Not even the Berlin wall and its strictest border controll in the world was able to limit/reduce smuggling. If people want to hide something, they will hide it! Snipers? Which snipers are you talking about... I must have missed the news

Yes, it nearly looks as if the US army is nothing else than a mix-breed of doctors without borders, human right's watch, Greenpeace and Unesco . Why are they wearing uniforms? Camouflage doesnt help much if they holy holy shiny glimmer silouette can be seen from far away.

Misconception. Take Israel for example. Increasing the amount of soldiers might have short-term effect. But wether the Iraq-mission is successful or not is decided by whether the US troops are considered as occupiers or peace-keepers. Palestine is not such a bad example after all. The evil guys, without any doubt, are the fundamentalistic terorist organisations. But the palestinian civillian population sympathises because they feel occupied not protected! Kids and teenagers throwing rocks at tanks might soon not only happen in Israel, but also in Iraq. Watch and learn!

So many people here were so sure that the US would plant WMDs in Iraq after the major battles subsided and nothing was being found. It just never happened. 1.) Something like this needs careful preparation. (after the latest fake proofs failed so miserably) There was never a definitive authorized claim that lasted for more than about a day or two before it was disputed and/or corrected. Let's put things into proportion. Lady, I am talking about the claims made before the war started. I dont mean the shaky dossier I mean the Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear-weapons program… Satellite photographs reveal that Iraq is rebuilding facilities at sites that have been part of its nuclear program in the past. Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. We don’t know whether or not he has a nuclear weapon. He recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa, according to the British government Faky faky faky! And he played that game for more than a few days. And last but not least it wasnt TBA that came up with the truth, it was the press. I just remember the african deal and the clearly FAKED signature!

So many people here were so sure that the US would plant WMDs in Iraq after the major battles subsided and nothing was being found. It just never happened. 1.) Something like this needs careful preparation. (after the latest fake proofs failed so miserably) 2.) ever played poker? Use the right card at the right time!

Human rights eh? Yes that is what I always say to hide what I realy think of turkey.

SWAT What a goddamn film for life-loosers. In my point of view people who love watching these movies are the same ones loving japanese racing cars, black leather jackets, spicky hair, women with lots of gloss on their lips and wasting a sunday on the playstation. Where has my Platoon, Die Hard, Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal weapon generation gone. Now we have that Fast and furious .........

The swiss are very very proud people. I lived there and enjoyed their hospitality for over 6 years. The swiss have a very rigid and silly decentralised system that would have ruined a sovjet union already back in the 1950ies. . And people like Blocher dont make it better. But fact is that beautiful little switzerland will survive without the european union and the swiss franc will remain as stable as the price of platinum. And in contrast to the UK I know that switzerland isnt joining because they hate the arrogant Krauts and the frogeaters but simply because for economical reasons. I know the swiss feel european, the Schengen treaty is a clear indicator for that, but they simply dont want any unforseeable obligations.

I want no turkey in the EU. That is what I want. Turkey is simply not compatible with the culture that all nations in the union embrace so far. Anyhow, considering how turkish football fans behave I think this country is not ready yet to reach out for friends beyond turkish borders! If turkey joins. I will apply for a swiss passport!

First of all, noone set the two conflicts equal, comparing means highlighting simillarities. But if you insist then should started with the argument: Iraq is not on the american continent therefore your comparison lacks precision. End of discussion Secondly, behaviours and war strategies were bound to different codes of honour. If I remember correctly during those days camouflage and seeking cover was considered cowardly and officers were kept prisoners in more luxurious cells than average soldiers. Translating the american independance war into the 21st century would definetly mean a far more brutal conflict and civillians would be considered as terorists rather than resistance fighters. This is more a case of those that were in power wanting to remain so. I agree, but that is not the problem. The problem is that this might change. It is only a question of time and continous bad living conditions in Iraq untill you will see real civillian resistance. It would seem than many of the lessons that are there to be learned, are ignored by those in command. Â You don't need howitzers and B52s They learned their lesson very well. The lesson was: the war is won on the home-front. Showing B-52 and howitzers on TV makes the american at home believe that the enemy is clearly definable and NOT invisible. As if the latest operations (hammer) were any useful. All they did were showing firepower and pretending they were actually engaging the enemy. Nice to watch on TV but fact is they havent got a clue where the resistance underground is hiding. The rest of your post pretty much corresponds to my point of view! Â