Article

2006-07-27 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-07-27 11:42|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I didn't see discussion on which assets are protecting their eastern border - they have Turkish border covered, and Lebanon, and Israel/Golan, but not the back door. Presumably an obsolete article?

Posted by glenmore">glenmore 2006-07-27 11:57|| 2006-07-27 11:57|| Front Page Top

#2 http://www.meib.org/articles/0108_s1.htm

A more complete version by the same AFI person.

Posted by Clerert Uneamp2772 2006-07-27 12:21|| 2006-07-27 12:21|| Front Page Top

#3 1 read it more closely - the same corps covers the Turkish AND Iraqi borders.

Posted by liberalhawk 2006-07-27 16:33|| 2006-07-27 16:33|| Front Page Top

#4 While it is still largely true that the Syrian military remains one of the largest and best-trained forces in the Arab world[...]

"Best-trained"? Where the hell did that brainfart come from? The Syrian Army was, and probably is, the worst-trained major Arab armed force in existence, if you class the Libyan & Lebanese armies as "minor", which I'm inclined to do. The Saudi, Jordanian, and Egyptian armies are US-trained, in part or in whole, and while they may still be typically rubbishy Arab laughingstocks with deeply ingrained cultural military incompetence bred into their bones, they are still ahead of the Syrians, who are still organized & semi-trained to sadly obsolete Soviet standards.

The author of the article himself notes that the Syrian army has badly lost every single war, every single encounter it's ever fought with anyone other than the Jordanians. It only managed to occupy Lebanon after fifteen grinding, exhausting years of civil war, and that with the connivance of Hezbollah.

In fact, I suspect that Hezbollah could out-fight the entire Syrian Army itself, despite the ten-to-one numerical disparity.

Hmm. I wonder whether such a thing might occur, Black September-style, if Hezbollah was driven out of Lebanon into Syrian exile for any particular length of time.

Posted by Mitch H.">Mitch H. 2006-07-27 17:28|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]">[http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/] 2006-07-27 17:28|| Front Page Top

#5 "the Syrian military remains one of the largest and best-trained forces in the Arab world"

But any Texas high-school girls' cheerleading squad could kick the crap out of them in 15 minutes. On a slow day.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2006-07-27 17:50|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html] 2006-07-27 17:50|| Front Page Top

#6 Goodness, another thing for poor Mr. Levant to worry about, being as he posts via Syria (according to our clever moderators who read IP addresses like I read English).

Posted by trailing wife 2006-07-27 17:51|| 2006-07-27 17:51|| Front Page Top

#7 that the Syrian army has badly lost every single war, every single encounter it's ever fought with anyone other than the Jordanians.

Oh I get it, so while we trained Egypt, Soddies, and Jordan, the French must have trained Syria?

Sorry it was just too easy.

Posted by 49 Pan 2006-07-27 18:17|| 2006-07-27 18:17|| Front Page Top

#8 Oh come on Barbara, use a more realistic comparison.

Posted by Matt 2006-07-27 18:33|| 2006-07-27 18:33|| Front Page Top

#9 Mitch-
FWIW, my experience with the Saudis was that although the Israelis could kick their asses up around their ears if it came down to it, the Army and AF was fairly professional and capable - IF there was an American standing close by.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2006-07-27 19:36|| 2006-07-27 19:36|| Front Page Top

#10 OK, #8 Matt - any Texas grade school girls' cheerleading squad.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2006-07-27 19:43|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com] 2006-07-27 19:43|| Front Page Top

#11 LOL -- that's more like it.

Posted by Matt 2006-07-27 20:29|| 2006-07-27 20:29|| Front Page Top

#12 "Goodness, another thing for poor Mr. Levant to worry about, being as he posts via Syria"

Yes, I suppose the poor thing has been called up by now. Imagine being a second-rate commentor in a third-rate army.

Posted by Fordesque 2006-07-27 21:33|| 2006-07-27 21:33|| Front Page Top

23:58 Kristine Kid
23:52 anymouse
23:51 3dc
23:50 djohn66
23:48 leroidavid
23:40 Thoth
23:39 Tibor
23:38 Barbara Skolaut
23:38 Raj
23:28 PBMcL
23:23 imoyaro
23:20 Barbara Skolaut
23:19 Brett
23:13 Barbara Skolaut
23:08 leroidavid
23:02 leroidavid
23:00 DepotGuy
22:57 Oldcat
22:55 PBMcL
22:54 Oldcat
22:53 BH
22:51 Alaska Paul
22:50 BH
22:49 leroidavid