Cruise Missile Suggestion Box.

[Lancecastor]

So, the USA has used up 1/3 of its stockpile of cruise missiles in the first ten days of war...which of course means they'll run out after a month.

I'll forward any suggested improvements for the next batch to the DOD if you'd like to leave them here.

I think we should be able to see a live feed from the nose cone en route.

And there ought to be a "Secretary of Defense For A Day" reality show so you get to choose targets.

 

[Astro]

I think a camera mounted in teh main body pointed down to catch all the people looking up at it and gawking.

Or a remote control one that viewers can use with their ineractive digital TVs, they seem to be able to do pretty much everything else!

 

[Arsenic_Allie]

Corporate sponsorships. Like car racing. Each missle has an advertisement banner on it. And when the thing hits, it is like a pinata, free happy meals for all.

 

[Lancecastor]

Yes, I like the sponsorships...just the other day I could hear the voice-overs in my head : "The Taco-Bell Assault on Basra is brought to you by Rice-A-Roni....the San Francisco treat!...and your local Chevy dealer. Chevrolet...Like A Rock."

 

[Alvin Brickrock]

Fedex - Solutions for ALL your shipping needs.

 

[Lovelynice]

Wow, and Halliburton could get in on the act even more blatantly then!

 

[Linedrive]

I heard Halliburton didn't even bid on the contract

As for your suggestions Lance, I'd like to have 100 rations attached to mini parachutes that release shortly before impact. This way we can feed people and eliminate Republican Guard units in one swoop.

 

[Arsenic_Allie]

Fedex - Solutions for ALL your shipping needs.

LOL

 

[Lovelynice]

I heard Halliburton didn't even bid on the contract

As for your suggestions Lance, I'd like to have 100 rations attached to mini parachutes that release shortly before impact. This way we can feed people and eliminate Republican Guard units in one swoop.

No need to bid when your already on the inside. Halliburton is already making quite a lot from this war.

I think cruise-missiles would make great soda-shakers, btw.

But how about this....

Rumsfeld Demolitions - All we leave is a memory...

 

[Linedrive]

No need to bid when your already on the inside. Halliburton is already making quite a lot from this war.

In case you didn't know, Halliburton is a giant company. They recieved some of the sub contracting work, but to say they are going to get rich off Iraqi oil is simply not true. I know this might blow the whole Cheney-Haliburton-Iraqi-Oil theory out of the water, which apparently 99% of the anti-war movement has latched onto.


Houston's Halliburton Co. never submitted a bid for a $600 million contract to help rebuild Iraq, the company said Monday.

With the company's stock dropping in the wake of revelations that Halliburton subsidiary KBR was not among the finalists for the project, spokeswoman Wendy Hall said Monday that KBR "has never bid solely or as a prime contractor for this work."

On Friday, when it was revealed that they would not be getting the contract, the company declined to comment on whether it had bid.

The U.S. Agency for International Development solicited bids from five U.S. companies to rebuild Iraq's roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other key facilities. San Francisco's Bechtel Corp. is considered a top contender for the contract.

Halliburton, a giant engineering, construction and oil-field services firm, was widely reported to be among those parties solicited by the government. Halliburton was said to be working with the Parsons Group of Pasadena.

Hall would not say Monday whether the company had ever been approached by the agency. She also declined to explain why the company had not submitted a bid.

Agency officials have noted that more than half the value of the contract will go to subcontractors working for the prime contractor. And Hall noted: "KBR remains a potential subcontractor for this work."

Halliburton stock dropped on the news, falling 71 cents, or more than 3 percent, to close at $20.73.

Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it had awarded KBR to oversee work to extinguish the oil-well fires and handle any emergency environmental cleanup in Iraq's oil fields.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...archive/2003/04/01/BU234481.DTL&type=business

 

[Lancecastor]

Haliburton has already billed over 800 million usd for logistics work as the contactor of record for the DOD to set up and maintain tent city camps for the US military in Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Cheney's getting 1 million usd/annum and an additional undisclosed amount on an ongoing basis as his package for being CEO of Haliburton....instead of the usual one-time payment to exiting CEO's.

So don't be suggesting Haliburton et al aren't at the US Government trough....they're at the all you can eat buffet.

 

[Linedrive]

Haliburton has already billed over 800 million usd for logistics work as the contactor of record for the DOD to set up and maintain tent city camps for the US military in Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Cheney's getting 1 million usd/annum and an additional undisclosed amount on an ongoing basis as his package for being CEO of Haliburton....instead of the usual one-time payment to exiting CEO's.

So don't be suggesting Haliburton et al aren't at the US Government trough....they're at the all you can eat buffet.

They are a massive construction, engineering and oil firm, what is so surprising about that...? Can you provide me with a credible link that discusses the ongoing payments from his former position as CEO...?

For the cost being paid out to fight this war in money and flesh, they could buy the Iraqi oil. I fully expect some of the oil revenue to be used to rebuild the country.

 

[zipman]

They are a massive construction, engineering and oil firm, what is so surprising about that...? Can you provide me with a credible link that discusses the ongoing payments from his former position as CEO...?

For the cost being paid out to fight this war in money and flesh, they could buy the Iraqi oil. I fully expect some of the oil revenue to be used to rebuild the country.

Gasp - but that would mean that the profits for Iraqi oil would actually be used for the benefit of the Iraqi people.

We really are the great Satan!

 

[Guest]

So, the USA has used up 1/3 of its stockpile of cruise missiles in the first ten days of war...which of course means they'll run out after a month.

I'll forward any suggested improvements for the next batch to the DOD if you'd like to leave them here.

I think we should be able to see a live feed from the nose cone en route.

And there ought to be a "Secretary of Defense For A Day" reality show so you get to choose targets.

Up your ass Lance-caster-oil

 

[Starblayde]

So, the USA has used up 1/3 of its stockpile of cruise missiles in the first ten days of war...which of course means they'll run out after a month.

But part of that $75Billion was to pay for more missiles, wasn't it

 

[p_p_man]

Gasp - but that would mean that the profits for Iraqi oil would actually be used for the benefit of the Iraqi people.

I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you...

Virtnam is still waiting for the promised help made by the USA in 1973 as part of that country's rebuilding program...

ppman

 

[zipman]

I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you...

Virtnam is still waiting for the promised help made by the USA in 1973 as part of that country's rebuilding program...

ppman

So are Japan and Germany

 

[Lancecastor]

So are Japan and Germany

And Afghanistan.


Starblayde... I wonder how long it takes to build Tomahawks in quantity?

I think you'll see more old fashioned dumb boms in quantities....you have lots of those.

The Tomahawk II's could be kinder and gentler...go in through a window, looking around with the camera, ID-ing people inside, matching human targets off the Big List....THEN going *boom*.

 

[honeylick]

....THEN going *boom*.

complete with unfurling red flag and 'boom' in big yellow letters?

it is april fool's day, after all.

 

[Thrillhouse]

At least they're already planning for wireless communications in post-war Iraq.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2894987.stm

Iraq war sparks wireless row

The widening gulf between the US and European countries opposed to the war has spread to the world of wireless.


A band of US politicians are angered over plans to build a communication system in post-war Iraq based upon European wireless standards.

Members of the US Congress are adding their names to a letter drafted by Californian republican Darrell Issa objecting to the use of US funds to build a GSM network in Iraq after Saddam has gone.

They want the government to use the US-developed CDMA standard instead.

Support for US firms

Congressman Issa is furious that French and German firms such as Alcatel and Siemens would benefit while US firms would lose out.

France and Germany are the two European countries most opposed to the war in Iraq.

"If European GSM technology is deployed in Iraq, much of the equipment would be manufactured in France, Germany and elsewhere in western and northern Europe," reads the letter addressed to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

"CDMS is widely recognised as technically superior to European GSM technology. If the US Government deploys US-developed CDMA in Iraq, then American companies will manufacture most of the necessary equipment," the letter goes on.

Distortion of facts

Congressman Issa has drafted a bill that would see US companies given preference to European nations in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Richard Dineen, research director at analyst firm Ovum, thinks the debate needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

"Congressman Issa is based north of San Diego and has the headquarters of CDMA pioneers Qualcomm in his backyard," he said.


"He is doing a favour to his political supporters and the distortion of facts is entertaining rather than insidious," he added.

For example, Mr Issa refers in his letter to GSM as standing for Groupe Speciale Mobile to highlight its French origins.

In fact the technology has not been known as that for 10 years, adopting the alternative Global Standard for Mobile communication to reflect its global nature.

Both CDMA and GSM standards have their own proponents. CDMA systems tend to have a larger talk range whereas GSM offers longer talk time.

Commonsense

Most crucially though, GSM is the standard used for 70% of the world's mobile subscribers, making it a much more viable bet for a post-war Iraq, thinks Mr Dineen.

"If they want to do the right thing by Iraq in terms of rehabilitating its communication infrastructure then GSM is dominant in all neighbouring countries such as Kuwait, Turkey and Saudi Arabia," he said.

Technology companies based in France and Germany are bound to feel some backlash from the frosty relationships its governments currently have with the Bush administration, says Mr Dineen.

But he is hopeful commonsense will prevail.

"The US is taking the opposing stances of France and Germany very seriously but one hopes companies will be given a chance and commonsense will dictate where technology is implemented."

 

[Lancecastor]

That's hilarious!....they're already taking the CDMA vs GSM debate to the "Soon To Be New & Improved" Iraq!

Talk about market overhang!

GSM is sooooo superior to CDMA, and is the standard most everywhere except the USA.

Countries like Romania and whatever Czhechsouvlaki is called this week, Israel, etc etc etc....have great penetration rates with GSM phones.