Isn't it amazing that with billions of dollars in technology we are getting our butts kicked by $5 IEDs?

Question

I was reading in a magazine the other day that they now have a robot (looks like the one on Short Circuit) that will go out and get wounded soldiers off the battlefield.

Still with all of the billions of dollars that we have pumped into this occupation of Iraq, we are getting our butts kicked by dirt poor hooligans and their five dollar bombs.

It speaks volumes for the resilience of those people. I think that 50 years from now, history will look back on the Iraqi freedom fighters and compare them with La Resistance of WWII and the Nazi occupation of France.

Meanwhile, as Bush decides to pump billions more in, those brave dirt poor people continue to blow hooplehead soldiers to pieces.

Who else in in awe of these patriots of Iraq?

Answer 1

I think they have the right idea and that they have done a great job of fighting the "Zionist Occupied Government" like U.S. and U.K.. Money is not everything in war ,if an enemy truely fights with his heart in the battle he will fight till the death while the americans just get a check in the mail to pay off college.We are just there fighting for Israel and it's zionist plans for oil and more land nothing else.I support all the insurgents,freedom fighters and the iraqi rebels they have the right to kill any alien country who tries to steal there land and resources in the name of greed and world domination.Muslims,and Islamic people are some of the bravest fighters you'll ever meet while the Z.O.G. bots hide in there tanks,humvees fight for no real reason but oil and land for Israel.Bush should be very proud making his zionist puppet masters very happy.

Answer 2

Not $5 more like $500-1000 for a explosive device. When an ordinary peon foot soldier gets smoked that costs Uncle sam about $100,000 in training and supplies, not taking into account liabilities to the family. Nail a humvee that is also probably 100-200k right there. Damage/kill a APC or tank now we talking big bucks of 500k to 1 million for repairs and replacement. Hit a heli thats like the jackpot 10 million dollars plus crew training which is at least 500K. Kill an f-16 30 million. 1 dead pilot priceless!!

Answer 3

The U.S. lost at many troops in 3 3/4 year in Iraq that Britan loses each year from children drowning and less that what the U.S. loses in one month from auto accidents. Being a U.S. soldier in Iraq is still not the top dangerous profession in the U.S.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15640339/
2006
1. Fishing

http://bostonworks.boston.com/photo_gallery/dangerous/index.shtml
2004:
1 (tie) Piloting an aircraft (tie)
Aircraft pilots tied lumberjacks in 2004 for the most dangerous job in America, sharing the top spot with 92.4 fatalities for every 100,000 workers.

3. fishing (86 deaths per 100,000)
4. Structural Iron and steel
Structural iron and steel work (47 deaths per 100,000)

5. Refuse and recyclable collectors
Garbage and recycling collectors

6. Farming and ranching
Farming and ranching, two jobs that involve a lot of heavy machinery

7. Roofing

8. Electrical power-line installation and repair

9. Truck driving

10. Taxi driving

Answer 4

Do that math. How many people have we sent over there? At a rough estimate, 500K during the past 4 years.

Ten billion dollars split among 500K prople is $20,000 per person. That's $5000 per year per person. Not a lot of money.

War causes causualties. That's the nature of the process. And if you pack enough explosives into a small area (IEDs are often old artillery munitions) and it's going to cause damage.

Answer 5

Yeah but a lot of it had to do with the incompitence of Rumsfeld et al. Deciding not to guard Iraqi Ammunition Depots allowed thousands of tons of explosives to fall into the hands of the rebels. Those explosives are the ones used to make the IEDs that have killed thousands of Americans and wounded tens of thousands more.
It seems that and the same AK47s and RPGs we fought in Vietnam are standing up to the trillions we have spent on research and development.

A lot of Generals and politicians got rich and we have nothing to show for it.

These peopl have over 6000 years of written history

Answer 6

They have a complete disregard for life. They could care less if their IED kills 30 women and children instead of their intended target, most of the time those are their targets.

Unfortunately all the technology in the world will never eliminate the need for boots on the ground.

Just by your posting shows you have no knowledge of warfare. It shows you do not research your subject matter.

Most of those IEDs are munitions left by the Saddam regime, some have been imported from Iran or Syria just recently ( with or with out official knowledge) and would cost far more than five dollars.

Answer 7

We are long overdue for taking off the gloves and doing some good old ***-kicking of the insurgents. If it takes house to house searches and shooting the enemy on site, so be it. Of course, since these guys blend (hide) with the civilian population, we will be accused of killing poor innocent Iraqis (suddenly, they were all such good innocent boys).

It will be like the Guantanamo propaganda all over again. War is a dirty business boys and girls and one must play to win, regardless of the opinion of the spectators (especially spineless and heartless France and Italy, among others.)

They always find it so easy to be the critic and not the leader. They will never lead a thing.

Answer 8

$5 IEDs?? You're kidding right? Or do you really not know the insurgents are being supplied with sophistocated weapons by Iran? Plus, those "patriots" are crazy enough to blow up themselves and any innocent people who happen to be in the vicinity. Yea, real brave!

Answer 9

Thank you for demonstrating you total lack of knowledge of military affairs.

IEDs have proven to be an ineffective tactic vs. US troops.

As a result of these attacks, in 2006 the leading cause of death for US soldiers was - car accidents.

Maybe you should start getting your military information from soldiers?

Answer 10

I'm afraid it's nothing new. The Viet Cong fought us to a standstill in Viet Nam because they were smarter and knew the place better than we did. The Confederacy kicked the hell out of the Union armies for years in a war that was supposed to last five months, maximum. And we beat the invincible British during the American Revolution.

I believe that the major problem we've been having in Iraq was that we went in on the assumption that there wouldn't be an enemy. Our fortunes went better in Afghanistan because we assumed that there would be opposition. Only time will tell how much of this was actually avoidable; the Islamic world was due for some sort of a blow-up eventually.