Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Quality of Saudi Soldier/Pilot?
Message-ID: <1990Sep18.024354.20278@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 18 Sep 90 02:43:54 GMT
References: <1990Sep13.012400.16916@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
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From: uunet!mcgp1!flak (Dan Flak)

> From: dana@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Daniel Schneider)
> What's the conventional wisdom regarding the quality of the Saudi soldier
> and the Saudi fighter pilot?

I can't speak directly about Saudi pilots, but in 1970, I went
through pilot training with Iranian pilots. There is one thing
that connects the two -- Islam.

We, as Americans, believe that "God helps those who helps
themselves". In the Moslem world, it's "Allah wills". 

Translated into flying terms, if Allah wills that you will
have an accident, then you will have an accident no matter
how safely you attempt to fly. If Allah wills to protect
you, then no amount of daring will harm you. If things got
really hairly some of them would release the controls and
exclaim, "Allah has it (the aircraft)". I would have to get
in an aircraft moving at 600 knots, 3 feet away from these
guys!

All the Islamic leadership needs to do in order to create an Army
of suicidal, frenzied, fanatics is convince its soldiers and
pilots that Allah is on their side.
-- 
       Dan Flak - McCaw Cellular Communications Inc., 201 Elliot Ave W.,
    Suite 105, Seattle, Wa 98119, 206-286-4355, (usenet: thebes!mcgp1!flak)