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From: david@fisher.UUCP (David Rubin)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame
Subject: Re: Well, Reagan was RIGHT!!
Message-ID: <548@fisher.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 23-Feb-85 14:45:44 EST
Article-I.D.: fisher.548
Posted: Sat Feb 23 14:45:44 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 02:51:24 EST
References: <643@decwrl.UUCP> <541@fisher.UUCP> <5040@fortune.UUCP>
Organization: Princeton University Department of Statistics
Lines: 41
Xref: watmath net.politics:7795 net.flame:8525

> The purpose for the Russians inscribing serial numbers on weapons
> is so that brass can make sure that each soldier keeps his or her
> own weapon clean, oiled and working.  US weapons are inscribed with
> serial numbers for that reason also, not to drive up costs.
> -- 
> Richard A. Brower		Fortune Systems
> {ihnp4,ucbvax!amd,hpda,sri-unix,harpo}!fortune!brower

Maybe there are serial numbers (though I think soldiers can be held
responsible for their equipment without tatooing it), but this does
not satisfactorily support the claim.

Precisely, then, what is meant by the claim that the numbers of guns
in El Salvador and in Grenada match?  Certainly, they cannot be in the
same place at the same time, and I doubt we're talking about a
manifest which stated AK-47 #4300293 was in this Grenadan wharehouse
on June 30, and was subsequently recovered in El Salvador on August
15.  

Please recall that one of the "windfalls" our administration eagerly
pointed out after the Grenadan invasion was that the large cache of
Soviet-made weapons could be smuggled to the Afghan mujahadeen, and
the Soviets would be unable to prove American involvement.  Now they
wish to claim that, while the Soviets lack the means to follow the
flow of their own weapons (an assertion which I was willing to
accept), the US can.  Well excuuuuse me for being just a wee bit leary
of such an apparently self-contradicting assertion.  This
administration has not shown much hesitancy in making self-serving
claims, and I'll have to see some proof before I'll buy it. 

Has anyone seen anything other than the report of an administration claim
to support the original assertion that there is proof, via serial
numbers, of substantial shipment from Grenada to El Salvador?
Presented with such evidence, I would concede that the invasion of
Grenada was justified;  if you folks really have seen something, OTHER
than another bald assertion by an administration spokesman, you have
the opportunity to see a centrist who thinks VERY poorly of Reagan eat
some crow.

					David Rubin
			{allegra|astrovax|princeton}!fisher!david