[Kazuaki Shimazaki II]

Originally Posted by Kurushio

I don't see how all that gobledygook has anything to do with an F-117A which was shot down over Yugosliavia. Frankly. So I'll just answer: weejooma doo ba ba, smchelkzsda!

Me neither. That wasn't even my main drive.

As for your point about a spoiling attack. You do realise countries have laws too, yes?

If Saddam cared about international laws, maybe he wouldn't have invaded Kuwait in the first place.

So if Saddam, at the time, had attacked Coalition forces massing in say, Saudi Arabia...you do realise what that would mean, yes? It would mean the whole muslim world would side against Iraq considering Saudi Arabia is "holy land" to muslims and Saddam was considered pretty much an infidel. So, Saddam would've been in even more trouble.

If he wins (gets Saudi oilfields and the like), then he would probably have enough geopolitical power to temporarily deter his enemies, much as they hate him, and he'd have enough of the oil to make even the West cautious. If he loses, it doesn't matter either way. Militarily, I'd much prefer having some Arabs about to attack me than the United States.

You also forget that moving his ground forces would make him vulnerable to attack

They were plenty vulnerable enough anyway. Might as well try attacking. That is, by the way, what the Soviet air defense systems (his SA-6s and -8s) they had were meant to do - defend an advancing force for a relatively limited period of time until it finishes its objective (or so the plan stipulates). Not sit there for two months while planes with equipment their successors were designed to hopefully match bomb them.

and his ground forces without close aerial support (which they never had either in the Gulf War or the Iraq War) would be sitting ducks anyway. And...you forget that some bombers, such as the B-2 fly out of bases a long long way away....how could he manage that?

The B-2 wasn't in service yet in 1991, pal. Sorry. The B-1B and B-52 can do so, but they don't have PGMs so their accuracy will be low. The B-52 will likely be relegated to firing cruise missiles. The B-1B - there are only 100 of them, and they are only semi-stealthy.

And the best part is ... the American system will be incomplete, while their's would be in the best possible state. This gives them a much better chance - certainly far better than the one they actually had, which was to let the Americans complete their set piece and employ their Superpower grade System in all its glory versus a Third World Regional grade System...

Thank God you're not a military strategist. Fact remains, countries like Iran, Iraq etc. are sitting ducks when it comes to a conventional military campaign.

Since you are qualifying your statement in such a way, what are we arguing over. Even though our reasons are slightly different, I'm not disagreeing with you on this general point.