Season 1 Episode 9: IRA vs Taliban

Bob Hubbard

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Episode 9: IRA vs Taliban

IRA Team: Skoti Collins[14] (IRA Descendant (Michael Collins' grand-nephew)/Historian), Peter Crowe (IRA Weapons Expert), Unknown explosives expert (identity classified)
Taliban Team: Fahim Fazli[15] (former Mujahideen Freedom Fighter), Alex Sami[16] (Counter-Terrorism Specialist)
IRA weapons: LPO-50 Flamethrower, Nail Bomb, AR-15 ArmaLite, Slingshot
Taliban Weapons:RPG-7 Rocket Launcher, PMN Mine, AK-47 Assault Rifle, Bayonet

IRA Taliban Advantage
Close Range: Slingshot Bayonet Bayonet
Mid Range Weapons: LPO-50 Flamethrower RPG-7 Rocket Launcher RPG-7 Rocket Launcher
Long Range: AR-15 ArmaLite AK-47 Assault Rifle AR-15 ArmaLite
Special Weapons: Nail Bomb PMN Mine Nail Bomb

-For short range weapons the Taliban's bayonet proved more deadly than the IRA's slingshot. The slingshot was a very accurate weapon being able to hit the eye socket of a skull but did not provide sufficient killing power. The bayonet was declared the winner because it turned the already powerful AK-47 into a close range spear, being able to rip a reinforced cloth punching bag in half with repeated strikes and strike right into a gel torso's heart.
-For mid-range weapons the LPO-50 flamethrower took on the RPG-7 rocket launcher. The LPO-50 burnt its targets up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit but the effective range, explosion radius, and killing power of the RPG-7 were unquestionable and it received the edge in mid-range weapons. The RPG also was effective up to 920 meters thereby increasing their hit chance.
-For long-range weapons the IRA's AR-15 took on the Taliban's AK-47. The AR-15 was able to hit a smaller target meaning it was more accurate (in fact, it hit each target in one shot—something the AK failed to do). The AK-47 was the apparent victor of a reliability test involving mud, but a subsequent examination of the footage revealed that the test was faked[17] Geoff decided to take the assault rifles into his own hands to decide. In his test, Geoff liked the AR-15 better, earning it the win.
-For special weapons the IRA's nail bomb was compared to the PMN mine. The nail bomb managed to take out all of its targets by lodging its nails into them. The PMN mine proved to be powerful enough to dismember limbs but could only kill 2 of its 5 targets. The nail bomb was more effective at damaging multiple targets in a manner which is more likely to be lethal so it was given the edge over the PMN mine. It should be noted that the nail bomb's power could have been exaggerated by its being placed on the seat of a moped during the test. The latter which, upon the detonation, burst into flames.

Simulation 9


This battle is just like Yakuza vs Mafia and Green Beret vs Spetsnaz with a 5-vs-5 format, a new environment and a score card to tell how many men are left on each team.
A Taliban fire team emerges from a nearby forest into a car park full of vehicles in various states of disrepair. They review the yard for any signs of trouble. Meanwhile, an IRA squadron is sneaking around the yard, looking for enemies. When the two groups find each other, the Taliban strike first, killing an IRA soldier with an AK-47. The IRA respond by firing their AR-15s and kill a Taliban soldier. They all spread out and a Taliban lures an IRA to a PMN mine, killing him. An IRA kills an unsuspecting Taliban with his flamethrower, but a nearby Taliban shoots the flamethrower's fuel tanks, killing the IRA. A running IRA is killed when a Taliban with an RPG fires it near his feet. The battle is very uneven with the IRA boss left facing three Taliban operatives on his own. He comes up to an RV where he finds the Taliban boss. In the short battle, he knocks the Taliban boss down and gets out before the Taliban with the RPG fires a rocket in the RV, killing his boss. The Taliban draws his bayonet and chases the retreating IRA boss who fires his slingshot, but misses. As the Taliban approaches, the IRA boss swings a door open knocking the Taliban down. In the short battle, the IRA boss disarms the Taliban and stabs him through the neck. After getting one of his dead comrade's AR-15s, he finds the last Taliban operative and they chase each other, firing all along the way. The IRA boss retreats in a bus with the Taliban still chasing. He pulls a remote bomb out of his coat and plants it in the bus and blocks the way out with the AR-15, trapping the Taliban. The IRA boss shows the Taliban he has the remote, runs away and detonates the bomb, killing the last Taliban. The IRA boss raises his fist in the air and roars "Éirinn!" ("Ireland") in victory in the middle of the car park as smoke rises from the smoldering wreckage of the bus.

Overall Winner: IRA

Although the Taliban's weapons were both reliable and deadly the IRA had weapons which had more precision and efficiency in taking out small targets. The IRA won 51.7% of the time, making it the closest fight yet on the show. Despite the Taliban's impressive display of high explosives and power, their tactics were meant to fight large numbers of enemies and vehicles as opposed to small squads such as in this battle. In a small team fight such as this, the IRA won because their weapons and tactics were better suited for these types of situations.

IRA Taliban Overall Kills: 517 483 Close Range: Slingshot: 2 Bayonet: 35 Mid-Range: LPO-50 Flamethrower: 70 RPG-7 Rocket Launcher: 162 Long Range: AR-15 ArmaLite: 315 AK-47 Assault Rifle: 245 Special Weapons: Nail Bomb: 130 PMN Mine: 41 Special disclaimers preceded each segment as they returned from commercial break, denouncing any endorsement of the policies of either organization. The producers made a special donation to Adopt-A-Minefield, a charitable group that helps the civilian victims of landmines.[18]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadliest_Warrior
 

Ken Morgan

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Personally i think this one to be in very bad taste....
 
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Bob Hubbard

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You and me both. I think theres another 1 or 2 "WTF?" episodes in season 2.
 

Hollywood1340

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Bad taste? They're comparing the deadliest warriors, and these two groups are preeety deadly. Glad they were included, if only to show t3e Deadly has no limits.
 

Ken Morgan

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Bad taste? They're comparing the deadliest warriors, and these two groups are preeety deadly. Glad they were included, if only to show t3e Deadly has no limits.

These aren't warriors, these are modern day terrorists. there is a difference. Some of the historical stuff, yeah whatever, a bit of fun, and entertainment makes for good TV.

We have people on this site who have lost family members, other loved ones and comrades in arms to these SOBs. It is too personal.

It is in bad taste.
 

Hollywood1340

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On my side of the coin, I have family members lost to the 7th Calvary as near as three generations back and in this family they are viewed as terrorists. Talk about being personal yet I find there is more on television glorifying them then there is about the Taliban. To me it's not a blanket thing, it's a time and a place and this is TV. Good episode and looking forward to more.
 
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Bob Hubbard

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I can see both of your points, but I have to go with Ken here. Bad taste, especially the way they presented the episode.
 

Ken Morgan

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On my side of the coin, I have family members lost to the 7th Calvary as near as three generations back and in this family they are viewed as terrorists. Talk about being personal yet I find there is more on television glorifying them then there is about the Taliban. To me it's not a blanket thing, it's a time and a place and this is TV. Good episode and looking forward to more.

OK IRA and Taliban is a little fresher then what you referenced

So when I talk with my aunts, uncles and cousins in Northern Ireland I can tell them all the crap they have had to endure over the past 40 years and the SOB's who committed the crimes against them means nothing but entertainment. Gottca.

I'm sure the children and the thousands of other innocents killed by the Taliban and the IRA combined, and their families still living/suffering are more then simple props in an entertainment show.
 

Gaius Julius Caesar

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OK IRA and Taliban is a little fresher then what you referenced

So when I talk with my aunts, uncles and cousins in Northern Ireland I can tell them all the crap they have had to endure over the past 40 years and the SOB's who committed the crimes against them means nothing but entertainment. Gottca.

I'm sure the children and the thousands of other innocents killed by the Taliban and the IRA combined, and their families still living/suffering are more then simple props in an entertainment show.

You are going to see it that way as it is your side and I admire people who take up their side and don't navel gaze about it.

On the same coin though is the fact that people in the PIRA and it supporters thought they were fighting for their freedom and they did have a makeable case tere as it was called Northern Ireland and not Northern England.

The show was made for American cunsumption.
 

Ken Morgan

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On the same coin though is the fact that people in the PIRA and it supporters thought they were fighting for their freedom and they did have a makeable case tere as it was called Northern Ireland and not Northern England.

The show was made for American cunsumption.

The vast majority of people outside of the UK have zero idea as to what it is all about.

So the 60% or so of people in N.Ireland who want to stay within the UK, and who's families had been there for hundereds if not thousands of years should go....where?

If native Americans suddenly started blowing things up and killing your children demanding that you get out of their country, and the Brits started giving them money to buy weapons, what do you do?

You're right of course, this is meant for US TV entertainment. It is still in bad taste.
 

tellner

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My money is absolutely on the Taliban.

Both sides have access to radios, reliable modern repeating firearms and enough explosives to do the job. As far as it goes the personal weapon which is giving NATO forces the most trouble is the 100 year old battle rifle.

The IRA whacked a lot of people. They did a lot of bombing and mortaring. But most of their killings were remote controlled, street fights or assassinations.

The Talibanis have been fighting the Russians, each other, NATO troops and the best of the United States military for close to thirty years. They are trained and experienced in war from ambushes and close assault to traditional battles and sniping. The IRA does not have anything like that sort of background or track record.
 

Tez3

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The IRA and the PIRA trained for a while with the PLO so were actually more experienced that perhaps many think. The PIRA certainly spend a lot of time drug dealing, robbing banks and running protection rackets. The weapon they are most fond of is the nail gun, just right for kneecappings.

I wouldn't use the past tense when talking about them, they haven't gone away. Death still stalks Ireland.
 

sgtmac_46

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These aren't warriors, these are modern day terrorists. there is a difference. Some of the historical stuff, yeah whatever, a bit of fun, and entertainment makes for good TV.

We have people on this site who have lost family members, other loved ones and comrades in arms to these SOBs. It is too personal.

It is in bad taste.

The concept is to put them in an arena and have them kill each other. Doesn't sound like a bad idea, actually.
 

sgtmac_46

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As for the episode itself, I entirely disagreed with their conclusion. The Taliban, being the remnants of the Mujahadeen, were tough, vicious fighters unafraid to die. They're the folks who ejected the Soviet Union, and have caught us up in a nearly 10 year long continuing fight.

Afghanistan may be the toughest place on earth.......it swallows up invading armies. These guys would mop the floor with IRA by shear force of will and the skill that comes from shear practice.
 

tellner

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As for the episode itself, I entirely disagreed with their conclusion. The Taliban, being the remnants of the Mujahadeen, were tough, vicious fighters unafraid to die. They're the folks who ejected the Soviet Union, and have caught us up in a nearly 10 year long continuing fight

I watched the episode and got a really unwholesome feeling. I can't put my finger on exactly why, but here's how it felt...

There was a distinct impression that the people doing the show wanted to show the Taliban being beaten by Europeans no matter how they had to fudge the "experiment". Make the audience feel warm and fuzzy by showing the Enemy being killed. The Provisionals are enemies from a quarter century ago. The Sinister Orientals are today's enemy. They can't be shown winning.
 

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