Posted on 06/24/2004 3:57:10 PM PDT by Woahhs
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 and Afghanistan, 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.
"There's a sensitivity that I think all of us recognize," Weldon told the Army witnesses, including Maj. Gen. Buford Blount, who led the U.S. Third Infantry Division that captured Baghdad in April 2003.
Blount, now the Army's assistant deputy chief of staff, said the Army had sufficient small caliber ammunition -- 5.56mm, 7.62mm and .50 caliber -- to conduct current operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
But taken together with training needs, the United States had strained its production facilities, he testified.
"To fight a major combat operation in another theater will require the Army to impose restrictions on training expenditures and to focus current inventory and new production on combat operations," Blount said.
As a result, he said the Army hoped to stretch U.S. supplies to supplement the capacity of the government-owned Lake City plant in Independence, Missouri, that currently makes more than 90 percent of U.S. small caliber ammunition.
The Lake City factory, operated by Alliant Techsystems Inc., has nearly quadrupled its production in the past four years. This year, it will produce more than 1.2 billion rounds, Karen Davies, president of the ATK arm that runs it, told the panel. Lake City provided more than 2 billion rounds a year during World War II and Vietnam, she said.
The Army's needs will grow to about 1.5 billion to 1.7 billion rounds a year in coming years, Blount said.
"In the near-term, balancing training requirements with current operational needs is a manageable risk-mitigation strategy," he said.
The Army does not want to repeat its history of building capacity during wartime "only to dismantle it in peacetime," Blount added.
Really this is just good pysops. You want to keep the docile ones docile.
Washington politics is a never ending cornicopia of idiotic lowest common denominator ideas and muddled thinking posing as "statesmanship" and "public service".
"Dip 'em in lard and fire away!"
For use on moslems Israeli ammo is equivalent to larded ammo.
Quote of the week material.
Yep. We need to start a new war. A war ON PC.
I know why not put some Iraqis to work making bullets would that be okay ;-)
They should have thought of this in WWII.
It would have been great if every Nazi shot was shot with a bullet stamped with the Star of David, eh?
And the parallels to the Islamo-nazis are perfectly valid.
I think this is a good idea, actually. We spend enough time trying to debunk idiotic arab conspiracy theories, and Israeli-marked brass would just fuel more of them.
Personally, I'd just demand that they use false markings and then use those.
Israeli-marked brass cases all over fire-fight scenes would be difficult to ignore, but they could just authorize them to put some non-descript symbol on them. Like a smiling pig
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
maybe they could be stamped "th-th-th-that's all folks!"
Wow, that's a lotta dead islamists. Cheery news at last.
No really, ...it is important. We shouldn't use those kosher bullets in battle. Everybody knows that tests have shown that American bullets made with grease from rendered porcine helps keep our weapons from jamming, extend their service life, as well as help make it easier to keep them clean. As when compared to using petroleum distillates. I thought everyone knew that. ; )
I demand a roll call vote on whether our military should be able to buy ammunition from Israel.
Let's flush out all the Jew-haters in Congress!
Can't use dogs.
Can't use leashes.
Can't use Israeli bullets.
Rules apply to US, but no rules for THEM.
They get to decapitate, we can't even give 'em a good fraternity hazing.
Could we use the paddle I was disciplined with in grade school? I'm talking about the one that was lacquer-black, with air holes to enhance velocity prior to impact. According to the interpretation of the Geneva Convention they're using...NO. That means I was subject to more (posterior) trauma than an Al Qaeda murderer can be subjected to.
We're living in a crazzzzzzzy world.
Of course, it might be crazier still if we couldn't utilize Israeli leashes on Iraqis wearing panties walking dogs firing Israeli bullets, but I digress.
We already do buy ammo from Israel.
PLEASE NOTE....
this is a democratic CONGRESSMAN stating an opinion...
NOT a decision or law passed and enforced outside the chain of command.
They will shoot and kill at liberty using Israeli rounds unless the President says otherwise.
typical democrat bs, and probably based on a desire to build several new "bullet" plants here in the USA... in some democrat's district.
still bs.
Why should we care?? This is really getting stupid. We need to either fight to win at all costs or slink out with our tails between our legs.
![[Representative Neil Abercrombie, 1st Congressional District of Hawaii]](http://www.house.gov/abercrombie/topban.jpg)
Honolulu Office:
Prince Kuhio Federal Building
300 Ala Moana Blvd.
Room 4-104
Honolulu, HI 96850
phone: (808) 541-2570 fax: (808) 533-0133
Washington Office:
1502 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
phone: (202) 225-2726 fax: (202) 225-4580
(note: mail delivery to Washington office
remains unpredictable, due to backlog caused
by security screening)
E-Mail: Neil.Abercrombie@mail.house.gov
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