U.S. Army Told Not to Use Israeli Bullets in Iraq

[matcom]

<snip>

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli-made bullets bought by the U.S. Army to plug a shortfall should be used for training only, not to fight Muslim guerrillas in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites), U.S. lawmakers told Army generals on Thursday.

Since the Army has other stockpiled ammunition, "by no means, under any circumstances should a round (from Israel) be utilized," said Rep. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, the top Democrat on a House of Representatives Armed Services subcommittee with jurisdiction over land forces.

The Army contracted with Israel Military Industries Ltd. in December for $70 million in small-caliber ammunition.

The Israeli firm was one of only two worldwide that could meet U.S. technical specifications and delivery needs, said Brig. Gen. Paul Izzo, the Army's program executive officer for ammunition. The other was East Alton, Illinois-based Winchester Ammunition, which also received a $70 million contract.

Although the Army should not have to worry about "political correctness," Abercrombie was making a valid point about the propaganda pitfalls of using Israeli rounds in the U.S.-declared war on terror, said Rep. Curt Weldon, the Pennsylvania Republican who chairs the subcommittee on tactical air and land forces.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=5&u=/nm/20040625/od_nm/iraq_usa_bullets_dc

[DarkPhenyx]

1. It isn't going to matter really.

Once the bullets are bought they go into the stockpile. If we aren't shooting the actual Israeli ones the Israeli ones are still freeing up more of the remainder to shoot at Iraqis so it has the same net effect. Honestly. Do they really think someone is going to check and see who made the bullet that killed their loved one before they go off to sign up with the insurgency?

[cheezus]

2. no kidding. is the star of david stamped on it or something?

[pinniped]

3. The expended shell casing will tell you the manufacturer.

There are probably hundreds of thousands of casings littering the country.

[DarkPhenyx]

5. Definately there are.

However my observation still stands. The exixtance of Israeli rounds in the US Army supply chain, reguardless of what they are used for, frees up more ammunition to use in Iraq. The argument could even be used that we are using them to train our soldiers to kill Muslims. Oh, that'll go over well in the ME.

[gander2112]

7. Boy this is dumb

As a shooter, I often use Israeli manufactured Winchester white box 5.56 NATO rounds. IT is impossible to tell the difference from the US manufactured ammunition.

This is pure CYA

Geoff

[AntiCoup2K4]

4. Ah, the festering rotting stinking carcass of irony here....

...using Israeli bullets might send the wrong impression, but invading the country in the first place, on a policy written by double agents of the Likud government is totally acceptable, right? :eyes:

[AngryAmish]

6. Why feed into poisonous anti-Israeli bias?

[leesa]

9. Sorry. What goes around comes around. Don't you know how involved I

the Israeli government is in this mess. Did they trigger it? Mossad agents as AlQaeda. Israeli training our torturers? You need to differentiate between hate of Jews and hate of the government of Israel who are the same type of genocidal, murderous thugs that the Bush regime is.

[porphyrian]

8. Wouldn't Want To Despoil Holy Land...

...with Jewish bullet casings. After all, those bullets are Kosher, right? What a bunch of fucking idiots. You're all fucking fired!