Useful

**Fallschirmjager** · 30-01-2010, 15:08

Originally Posted by Cpt_Darling

There are plenty of SAMs in country already, but are not being used extensivly for a few reasons.

Give your head a wobble mastermind. There are a few SAMs in theatre but many of them are not working or are in the hands of mongs who haven't a clue of how to use them or get them working but are loathe to give them up to other Taliban factions as they are a sign of power. If there were plenty they'd be used on a regular basis.

**PoisonDwarf** · 30-01-2010, 15:31

Originally Posted by BlueDanubeWalt

Originally Posted by Cpt_Darling

There are plenty of SAMs in country already, but are not being used extensivly for a few reasons.

[b]

(My bold)..cue 'Jaws' theme...'why'..??..

Taliban health and safety rep won't allow them to use them without filling out a risk assessment questionnaire. They should never have let them do that RAF exchange programme.

**jim30** · 30-01-2010, 15:34

I do like the way that Sky is focusing on a tiny part of a very significant document, and ignoring much of the wider disucssions.

Given that the paper in question is a thinkpiece looking at the sort of assumptions we need to consider, rather than a policy document stating fact, they do seem to have got the wrong end of the stick.

Wondering whether it was a deliberate leak though?

**bomb-int** · 30-01-2010, 19:52

Originally Posted by jim30

I do like the way that Sky is focusing on a tiny part of a very significant document, and ignoring much of the wider disucssions.

Given that the paper in question is a thinkpiece looking at the sort of assumptions we need to consider, rather than a policy document stating fact, they do seem to have got the wrong end of the stick.

Wondering whether it was a deliberate leak though?

I just read the Sky News page and thought exactly the same. i think that they are just headline grabing here a bit.

**seaweed** · 30-01-2010, 20:04

My historical impression is that everywhere we have been, when we announced a pull-out or set an end date, there was a race/contest between the native factions to 'prove' they were the ones that drove us out, by doing the maximum to murder British servicemen who are going to leave anyway. No, I have no stats on this, it's just gut feel from watching or being part in the dismemberment of our Empire. The only happy alternative is when they start terrorising each other instead, as in India (big time) or Mauritius (don't suppose anyone noticed this at home, but there was extreme nastiness on the ground between Muslims and Hindus). Aden was spectacularly nasty right up to the bell, FLOSY vs that other lot both trying to max their bag of Brits.

If I were Karzai I'd wear a VERY heavily starched collar.

**Exparareg** · 30-01-2010, 20:59

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

Originally Posted by Cpt_Darling

There are plenty of SAMs in country already, but are not being used extensivly for a few reasons.

Give your head a wobble mastermind. There are a few SAMs in theatre but many of them are not working or are in the hands of mongs who haven't a clue of how to use them or get them working but are loathe to give them up to other Taliban factions as they are a sign of power. If there were plenty they'd be used on a regular basis.

Not wrong

**Maalox** · 30-01-2010, 21:10

At what sort of casualty figure would the public start to balk? At more than 10 soldiers dying per week? Would it destabilise the UK as the Vietnam war protests did in the US in the 60s, almost to the point of anarchy?

Or one massive atrocity cf the 286 US marines killed in one explosion in Beirut 1983.

Such was the outcry, even under Reagan, the US pulled out of Lebanon the next morning.

And how would that balking manifest itself?

**harareboy99** · 30-01-2010, 21:11

How is that picture relevant to anything?

**Alsacien** · 30-01-2010, 21:27

Originally Posted by harareboy99

How is that picture relevant to anything?

Journos like to make pathetic attempts to provoke reaction, makes them think they are doing their job. Sort of like a license to troll....

Meanwhile everyone who actually knows the subject matter either gets offended, angry, or more usually, concludes that almost all journos are total c0cks.....

**Ursus.Maritimus** · 30-01-2010, 21:31

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

Originally Posted by Cpt_Darling

There are plenty of SAMs in country already, but are not being used extensivly for a few reasons.

Give your head a wobble mastermind. There are a few SAMs in theatre but many of them are not working or are in the hands of mongs who haven't a clue of how to use them or get them working but are loathe to give them up to other Taliban factions as they are a sign of power. If there were plenty they'd be used on a regular basis.

Plus, for low-flying aircraft a well-placed RPG is as effective as a SAM (cf, TELIC). As for the SAM threat - to the extent that we can discuss this here under PERSEC - Uncle Sam only gave the Mujhaideen(sp?) a certain number of Stingers and I'd expect the majority of them were used against the Soviets.