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From: terryy%sandstorm.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Terry Yeung)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Iraq's Military Strength
Summary: What is Iraq's military strength?
Message-ID: <1990Aug8.030457.25888@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 8 Aug 90 03:04:57 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
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Approved: military@att.att.com



From: terryy%sandstorm.Berkeley.EDU@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Terry Yeung)
As a couple of people have already posted possible U.S. responses to Iraq's
invasion of Kuwait, I would like to know what kind of opposition would
American troops face IF they were sent.  There has been a lot of talk of how
large the Iraqi military is but not much on the type of equipment they use.
I would like to know:

	1) How good are the aircraft in the Iraqi Air Force?  I just saw on
	   the news yesterday that they had MiG-29s.  If so how many do they
	   have?  How does the rest of their aircraft compare with American
	   fighters?

	2) What type of equipment do the Iraqi Army use?  I know they have
	   T-72 tanks but again how many and how would it stack up against
	   American tanks?

	3) There has been some talk to sending two U.S. tank divisions to
	   Saudi Arabia to protect against a possible Iraqi invasion.  How
	   long would it take to mobilize these forces and get them there?

	4) To follow up on question 3, what can the U.S. do if Iraq decides
	   to keep going and invade Saudi Arabia?  The Saudis would probably
	   not last long against the Iraqis and assuming this what can the
	   U.S. do about it?

	5) What kind of assets does the U.S. have in the area?  The carrier
	   Independence is in the Gulf of Oman.  What other ships do we have
	   headed there?  I've heard that there will be three carrier battle
	   groups there when all the forces arrive.  True?  Which ships?


I think without knowing the answers to these questions, we really can come
up with a plan for a military operation there.  I can't seem to find any
information on the state of the Iraqi military today.



					Terry Yeun