The US has been bombing various radar and surface-to-air missle installations in Iraq for over a decade, at varying degrees of intensity. My question is, why haven’t they run out of trained soldiers, equipment, missles, etc.? Does anyone know how many times the US has struck? How many times it’s been reported in the paper that “a coalition fighter destroyed an Iraqi missle site”?
It seems the current situation could just drag on and on…any speculation on the drain this is having on Saddam’s economy?
Where exactly does he get his weapons? Do you suppose it’s a gradual process (“Abdul, stop by the Safeway on your way home and pick me up a case of SAMs”) or does he have a massive stockpile somewhere(s)? Why not blow that up instead?
May I offer a purely speculative answer in order to spur others’ research efforts?
The Iraqis are buying them from arms dealers around the world, but probably primarily from the former Soviet Union states. With illicit oil profits gained by topping off European and American oil-tankers in violation of the oil-for-food sanctions imposed upon them.
Most of this is from the Institute for Strategic Studies
The Iraqi Air Force, Army and navy are starved for resources. In part to compensate, tremndous military resources are allocated to the Air Defense Command’s surface-to-air missiles. Despite these resources the Air Defense Command’s missiles, radars, and support systems are mostly obsolete.
On this issue, It is also important to rember that iraq IS allowed to have missiles with a range of less than 150km. And they have taken advantage of that : Iraq has developed, as it is allowed to, two shorter range missiles - the al-Samoud and the Ababil.
The coalition forces enforce a no fly zone, as well as warning Iraqw NOT to “paint” coalition forces with radar or they will die. But no one says Iraq is not allowed to have air defense missiles.
As far as Men no problem: The Iraqi Army is estimated to 350,000 men. Incidentally it retain still has some some 2,300 tanks and 1,000 artillery pieces