STORM2K

In the press conference Donald Rumsfeld warned Syria that sending military shipments thru the border Syria/Iraq is a hostil act and holds the Syrian goverment responsible.

Hummm this may turn more ugly as nations outside Iraq are helping that tyrant.

This is not a good development. Eek! :o

Yes, very ugly indeed.

Maybe those additional 120,000 troops won't be enough at this rate! :o

I dont think that the Syrians will join Iraq with their full military force but little pockets of people yes they may help Iraq and according to Rumsfeld already they are doing so.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/ ... index.html

He also is warning Iran for having some elements from there in Iraq and Rumsfeld considers that also like Syria an hostil act.

that has always been a concern since neither Syria nor Iran want to see us preeminent in the Middle East. However, I would think that in Iran's case, they may be more interested in settling a score than in fighting us at this time. In Syria's case, there are political ties between the Ba'ath Party in Syria and in Iraq. Besides which, the Syrians are only sending in the shipments sent there from France, Germany and Russia who sold the goods to Iraq.

Steve

Like many others, Syria expected Saddam to go out fast and therefore they were not inclined to support him. But because of the p*** poor planning on our part, he has held out longer than they expected and more effectively so they are now inclined to go the other way since to their point of view we are a paper tiger now. Additionally, Syria would like nothing better than to see Israel's ally totally embarassed by Saddam and to have our role in the Middle East eliminated (which it would be by an American defeat or stalemate) for all time-as would France, Germany, Russia and China.

Steve

The situation can get very bad over there if these 2 countries join forces with Iraq.

I don't think Iran will get involved. They are too intent on watching Saddam fall. Syria on the other hand...

Garrett remember that Iran has a plant that has the capacity to make nukes and they might have that card to play in the future.

I understand...but not now. Only if they feel threatened by the U.S. which I don't think they do right now.

So annoying... you would think that Syria would be on our side the way Saddam's idiotic point of view... same with Russia and China.

I hope this doesn't turn into a War of the Middle east against The United States and UK..Then we will be forced to use means which horrify me to even think about

Johnathan

I was afraid this would happen....especially if we didn't quickly seize Baghdad and eliminate Saddam's regime.

I posted at WWBB several weeks ago how this could spiral into a major Mideast, or possibly even World War III. This is one scenario that concerned me.....especially if somehow Israel is drawn into the conflict (or North Korea were to attack South Korea)

Well JetMaxx those are the worst case scenarios that may happen but also it may not happen but I agree that the war in Iraq is not going fully what the US expected.

OK, let's clear the air around this...

Iran has no love at all for Iraq, and will not intervene ON Saddam's side...however, it does have a large Shi'ite Iraqi refugee population that are willing to enter Iraq on its own and fight alongside the Shi'a majority INDEPENDENTLY from the coalition forces...and, remember that the Shi'ites have religious ties to the ayatollahs, in addition to living in the largest Iraqi assemblage of oil fields.

The possibility of a Shi'ite autonomous state, post-Saddam, and friendly to Iran is NOT acceptable to the coalition, or the future stability of the region.