I didn't know what to do with this tidbit of information so I am posting it here before I lose it. Anyone have any ideas??

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_148960.html

First of all, a gameboy is far less advanced than a PlayStation2 to which the article discusses. I would not worry too much about this "potential threat" as a PlayStation2 is nothing more than your average Pentium 3 class computer. I forget whether the PS2 or the x-box has the Pentium or Athlon processor. I'm sure to be corrected though. I can't imagine why more powerful PC's like the one I am using now would not be used instead. Any help out there?

That is incredible, shameful hysteria.

oops I mispoke calling them gameboys, I had just read another link that stated that Iraq had previously bought 1400 gameboys.
Why would they buy 4,000 play stations, when they could buy computers sure puzzles me.
I am really not very knowledgable about video games, but I do know there is one game that has the F16's flying over a landscape that was devised by using sattelite pictures of Iraq. How realistic are the video games as far as giving Iraq knowledge about our weaponry?

A little less so than learning about sex with a Barbie Doll.

if it is shameful hysteria , why was the DOD and FBI investigating this even before 911?? I am concered that we will get blind sided, by a simple but well contrived plan like we did on 911. What is so shameful about caution, when it was lack of caution that brought about the 911 diaster?? There is one hell of a big difference between hysteria and caution.

Hysteria is driving policy. Caution is almost entirely absent. We are not dealing with a rational government in this unprecedented period in our history. Every significant US govt act is presently increasing the risk to Americans from Terrorism.

Wouldn't you surmise they might be part of the stipen allotted to the republican gaurd? He obviously loves them if he buys them playstations.

On a related and comedic note, my dad and I came up with the idea that instead of bombs, we should drop gameboys on them and lull them into submission like we've already done to the american public!

Then we can have a oil for batteries treaty.

Do play stations have any games where the player gets extra points for slashing the guts out of a Kurdish woman?? That is the mentality of the republican guard. On the other hand I recently read about a new computer game in this country where the player gets to kill a hooker to gain extra points.

PS2's can be configured to fire ICBM missles. Gameboys are just fun, cant you see that Saddam is using them to bribe the UN inspectors?!

You are joking of course Counseler, but The play stations were purchased when there were no UN inspectors in Iraq. click on the link, they are PS2's

Originally posted by justiceusa
Do play stations have any games where the player gets extra points for slashing the guts out of a Kurdish woman?? That is the mentality of the republican guard.
wow... you've gotta love mass generalizations.

As for the PS2s being for weapons... it's a stretch. Every console programming mod I've seen requires a computer anyway. I don't think it would be too difficult to smuggle in computers.

Computers were on the list of items banned for sale to Iraq, by the UN, at the time the play stations were purchased.

Im not joking. Dont yall remember when that guy took his xbox and turned it into a computer? Well, a guy with a ps2 did that before him... PS2 can be used as missle guidence systems, the programing doesnt matter, the specs dont matter, what matters is that there dangerous when they can be turned into things.

Originally posted by justiceusa
Computers were on the list of items banned for sale to Iraq, by the UN, at the time the play stations were purchased.
So where missles though:)

CounslerCoffee
Dont yall remember when that guy took his xbox and turned it into a computer?
Didn't he use another computer to make get his xbox to work as a computer? I doubt that you can program directly on the console.

Don't get me wrong here, I am against this war, however it will happen and soon. The topic was play stations, and "you" brought up the repulbican guard. Iraqi butchering of the Kurds is no generalization it is historical fact.

American settlers killed indians... that doesn't mean that was the american settler's mentality.

I thought you asked "why did Iraq buy 4000 playstations". I was just making a guess as to why. Seems plausible to me.

Sorry, I was reading backwards... didn't realize there'd been so many posts.

Originally posted by justiceusa
Do play stations have any games where the player gets extra points for slashing the guts out of a Kurdish woman?? That is the mentality of the republican guard. On the other hand I recently read about a new computer game in this country where the player gets to kill a hooker to gain extra points.

What are you talking about? As I said in my last post, I was thinking that playstations would be a great gift for your army guys especially in a country like Iraq where I'd imagine that type of thing is halfassed rare. What a great way for him to show favor to his favorite troops... and buy their loyalty. I can't figure out how you got from what I said to gut slashing. :eek:

Yikes.


Moderator edit - profanity

Oh, and don't get me wrong here. I think the war is the only way this is going to get resolved. That's a different thread or twelve though.

Yes missiles were on the "banned" list, so Iraq borrowed a few hundred surplus Russian rocket engines and built its own El saumoud missiles, the very ones they are claiming to be destroying now. What were they going to use for guidance systems? well let me see now what was the topic here. Ah yes the sophisticated electronic components of a play station.

An el saumoud rocket mounted as a second stage on top of a scud missile could travel well over 800 miles.

It is well known that the US and Britain helped build several bio warfare plants in Iraq. France helped build a nuclear reactor in Iraq only to have the facility bombed by Isreal.

Saddam has not handed over the manufactured "goods"

so we are left to wonder why Iraq printed 15 million King James bibles...

Are they permeating the book of Job with "goodies" for export?

Yes I agree that at this point war is the only way that this situation will be resoled. I don't really like war because, I have been there and done that. I think we had a bit of a misunderstanding. Somehow I just can't picture in my mind a bunch of Iraqi soldiers sitting around playing games, especially the republican guard. They have been totally brain washed to hate anything from the western world.

Originally posted by justiceusa
Yes I agree that at this point war is the only way that this situation will be resoled. I don't really like war because, I have been there and done that.

I'm with you there. I wasn't in much danger, but I was at the GWI and Panama... a bit of danger... but shit, I was a TV repairman for this man's army... so I can't talk much shit. :)
Originally posted by justiceusa

I think we had a bit of a misunderstanding. Somehow I just can't picture in my mind a bunch of Iraqi soldiers sitting around playing games, especially the republican guard. They have been totally brain washed to hate anything from the western world.

Dude... video games rock, it doesn't matter what you've been trained. Oh sure, an old coot might not be able to relate, but I'm sure YOU can. *giggle*

justiceusa:"They have been totally brain washed to hate anything from the western world."
I think if you learn more about Iraq, you will see that is a grossly inaccurate statement.

"totally brainwashed" I was referring to the republican guard.

My point was that buying a PS2 for this use doesn't make sense because of the amount of work that would be needed to make it into a guidance system. The play station is sophistacated, but you still need a computer to program it to do anything useful.

Since you need a computer anyhow, why not just use that?

Originally posted by justiceusa
"totally brainwashed" I was referring to the republican guard.
This is still just a generalization.

I think you need to study the Islamic culture a little. I have been around many of them, hell they seldom even laugh or smile. True Islamic don't sit around playing anything but a few board (not bored) games. So can we talk about what the hell they are really doing with those play stations.

You can say that again. Like so many American puppet dictators, Saddam and his cadre have been "high on America" for most of their careers.

OK then persol go off topic and tell me what you know as fact about the republican guard. gees you kids

Well, I'll not belabor the point but I am more familiar than most with Islamic culture, having spent 7 months there, four years in the army with a few close islamic friends and one of my best friends in college was a saudi arabian citizen.

I remeber when this first got announced and Sony actually (well i got the impression it stemmed from sony but this was all probbably a joke that came from the issue by parties unknown) that he was the reason they were having a massive shortage of PS2's in comparrison to the Demand for them on the Initial launch.
I though it was quite funny at the time but i think the amount of work they would have to do to use these as weapons guidance?would make this a bit of a silly theory (and that comes from the guy being accused of being a conspiracy theorist :eek: ).
After all why can't they get the weapons inspectors to go and check the PS2's as well ^_^ at least it would also give them some R&R at the same time.

*Hans blix plays C&C and launches a missile, outside the window a strange light is seen risinging into the night sky....:eek: *

"since it takes a computer anyway why not just use that."

Western computers were on the list of "banned" items at the time . Play stations were not. One computer could be used to program thousands of PS2's plus I don't think a computer would fit very well on the top of an el saoumoud missile.

"i think the amount of work they would have to do to use these as weapons guidance makes this a bit of a silly theory."
************************************************** *
Iraq did sucessfully build the missiles during a time that western technology was banned to them. So what electronics do you suggest is used as guidance systems for the el saoumoud missles?

I suggest that there is no reliable guidance system for most of the missiles and that is why Iraq is willing to destroying the ones that the inspectors can find. The missiles we do not find are the ones we need to be concerened about.

We knew Iraq had scud missles before gw1 began , But we were blind sided by the number of missiles on mobile launchers that kept popping out of the desert. We had not even suspected that they would be launched on Israel.

Will they suprise us again? I certainly hope not, and I certainly see no harm in being cautious about any possibility.

drone interfaces? no television cameras work better for the screens but the relays are somewut the same concept
entertainment? You know there are kids in iraq's elite that would enjoy this
Hand held tactical training? get one of those tank destroyer games
im fresh out. I think it would be entertainment because it would be better to mate a palm pilot with a nokia phone to control drone weapons.

I still say get the weapons inspectors to go look at them if its serious ^_^

Do you think post Iraq the market is going to be flooded with cheap 2nd hand *slightly modified* ps2's ^_^.

possibly, the afgans make sattlite dishes out of little sheets of metal to tap into our signals.

US could bomb them and Iraqi soldiers in deep bunkers would play. What did you think?
Drones woud be nice, but not for this war.