Adam Skaggs
11-03-2009, 10:58 PM
November 3, 2009, 4:21 pm
M-16 vs AK-47: Iraqi Viewpoints (http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/m16-vs-ak47-iraqi-viewpoints/)
By Omar al-Jawoshy (http://www.militaryphotos.net/author/omar-al-jawoshy/)http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs_v3/atwar/pog-baghdad-bureau.gif
Baghdad: To get another perspective on the debate about the reliability of the American military’s M-16 assault rifle (http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/how-reliable-is-the-m-16-rifle/), we asked some Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad, They have recently been issued with the weapon, to replace their old AK-47s.
Adnan, an Iraqi Army soldier standing at Baghdad’s al-Rubai’i checkpoint, said: “The M16 is much better than the AK47 because the M16 is very accurate and good quality. The size of the weapon prevents a big recoil, it has a long range, it is easy to maintain it and you can use it even if it is wet, unlike the AK47 which does not have any of these qualities. It is considered an inaccurate weapon because it is shorter than the M16.”
Abbas and Faris, two Iraqi soldiers manning the capital’s Zayona checkpoint, said: “There is no doubt that the M16 is a great and modern weapon: high quality, long distance, very accurate and can be used continuously with a large amount of ammunition. There are definitely no problems with its usage, except for the ammunition. It won’t be available after the American departure, because now they are responsible for supplying it. The M16’s size is another problem because it is hard to use it when you are inside a Humvee.”
Hussam, another Iraqi soldier, said simply: “I prefer the M16 and I dislike the AK47 because it is an unimproved old style of weapon.”
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/
M-16 vs AK-47: Iraqi Viewpoints (http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/m16-vs-ak47-iraqi-viewpoints/)
By Omar al-Jawoshy (http://www.militaryphotos.net/author/omar-al-jawoshy/)http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs_v3/atwar/pog-baghdad-bureau.gif
Baghdad: To get another perspective on the debate about the reliability of the American military’s M-16 assault rifle (http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/how-reliable-is-the-m-16-rifle/), we asked some Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad, They have recently been issued with the weapon, to replace their old AK-47s.
Adnan, an Iraqi Army soldier standing at Baghdad’s al-Rubai’i checkpoint, said: “The M16 is much better than the AK47 because the M16 is very accurate and good quality. The size of the weapon prevents a big recoil, it has a long range, it is easy to maintain it and you can use it even if it is wet, unlike the AK47 which does not have any of these qualities. It is considered an inaccurate weapon because it is shorter than the M16.”
Abbas and Faris, two Iraqi soldiers manning the capital’s Zayona checkpoint, said: “There is no doubt that the M16 is a great and modern weapon: high quality, long distance, very accurate and can be used continuously with a large amount of ammunition. There are definitely no problems with its usage, except for the ammunition. It won’t be available after the American departure, because now they are responsible for supplying it. The M16’s size is another problem because it is hard to use it when you are inside a Humvee.”
Hussam, another Iraqi soldier, said simply: “I prefer the M16 and I dislike the AK47 because it is an unimproved old style of weapon.”
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/