Apparently some US troops are now using confiscated AK-47's. I wasn't going to link to the story, except that I saw someone else do so, with the implication that there simply aren't enough rifles for everyone. However, according to the article:
The soldiers based around Baqouba are from an armor battalion, which means they have tanks, Humvees and armored personnel carriers. But they are short on rifles.A four-man tank crew is issued two M4 assault rifles and four 9mm pistols, relying mostly on the tank's firepower for protection.
But now they are engaged in guerrilla warfare, patrolling narrow roads and goat trails where tanks are less effective. Troops often find themselves dismounting to patrol in smaller vehicles, making rifles essential.
Now, it seems perfectly logical to me that tank units wouldn't necessarily have rifles for everyone. After all, they're riding around in tanks, right? So while I can see where some could take this as indication of a lack of preparedness (or funding), I'm willing to cut the army a little slack on this one.
Posted by Jason at August 25, 2003 12:59 PM