I bet the Iraqi Army soldiers missed their trusted friend

[nathan]

after old these years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_teTvdAMX4&NR=1&feature=fvwp

 

[kwelz]

Why would they miss it? They are trading up to a better weapon platform.

 

[elano]

What the heck. Why is the US trading shiny new $1000 m16s for crappy ak47s??? Further isn't 7.62 a lot easier to come across than 223 over there?

 

[dmancornell]

What the heck. Why is the US trading shiny new $1000 m16s for crappy ak47s??? Further isn't 7.62 a lot easier to come across than 223 over there?

I bet some politicians got a big "bonus" from the defense contractors to push this through.

 

[joeq]

Why can't they just keep their AK's? The last thing we need to do is spend more money. After we have left they will probably go back to using AK's again anyway. Seems like it would be cheaper to provide them with plenty of 7.62X39 instead of our M-16's.

 

[InkEd]

Yet another piglet to suckle on the teat ofthe American taxpayer.

 

[nathan]

It has to do with symbolism. AK is the enemy's weapon of choice. By switching to the AR, it goes to say the Iraqi Army is our friend and ally. They identify with us.

 

[NoirFan]

Perhaps the US govt is trying to make the Iraqi Army dependent on us for small arms supply and servicing, allowing us more control of their armed forces.

 

[flank]

k the U.S. is not trading $1000 M16's for crappy ak's
neither are they giving away the M16 you paid for with your tax $

if you look below the youtube video you will see
Iraqi soldiers handing in their AK-47s for new M-16 rifles purchased by the....
that is called a description
then you click show more and you see the entire description
Iraqi soldiers handing in their AK-47s for new M-16 rifles purchased by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense

so after reading the description for that youtube video I concluded that they were selling the M16's and getting the ak's as trade-in's

 

[Shadow 7D]

Oh, and we don't make the most 5.56 ammo anymore, sadly, there are quite a few other countries that make MUCH more ammo a year that the Ol US does...

 

[Moose458]

k the U.S. is not trading $1000 M16's for crappy ak's
neither are they giving away the M16 you paid for with your tax $

if you look below the youtube video you will see
Iraqi soldiers handing in their AK-47s for new M-16 rifles purchased by the....
that is called a description
then you click show more and you see the entire description
Iraqi soldiers handing in their AK-47s for new M-16 rifles purchased by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense

so after reading the description for that youtube video I concluded that they were selling the M16's and getting the ak's as trade-in's

How much do you think they pay per M-16? In the early 70s, when I was stationed in Turkey, the U.S. government was selling deuce and a half trucks for $5.00 a truck to the Turkish military. So do you reallt think they are paying full price for a M-16?

 

[Art Eatman]

This seems to be more about politics and foreign policy than it is about rifles.