Posted on 04/18/2006 7:10:51 AM PDT by white trash redneck
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.
"...winning the hearts and minds of the local population,..."
You can't possibly be serious?
For every single faction of muslim/"iraqi" participants, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" is in effect wrt the US. None of them are destined for or intend to have an eye-to-eye realtionship with the US after the shouting is over.....they will all revert to their homoestatic nature.
I would have replied to you, explaining about COIN strategy as I have to others but from your rant I guess it would go right over your little head.
I will change my mind on your abject stupidity if you can point out where I wished away Israel
We could export the excess lard under the guise of a Ted Kennedy visit.
"There's a sensitivity that I think all of us recognize,"
Yeah. Human bodies are very "sensitive" to bullets - no matter where they were made.
Bleh, of course I wasn't going to be the first with that joke, now was I?
"I think they ought to equip our troops with Israeli manufactured ammo DIPPED IN PIG FAT."
Works for me.
Then, what are we doing out there, and from all reports from troops on the ground in both the British and American sectors it is working.
You were in Vietnam, you cant tell me that when the local population start coming forward with information on the bad guys thats not winning their hearts and minds.
It's funny that just as it was with Vietnam, we're kicking the shiite out of them militarily, but we're actually losing the war in terms of public opinion. Amazing.
Since the Army has other stockpiled ammunition, "by no means, under any circumstances should a round (from Israel) be utilized,"
Possible this would enrage the local resistance, cartoons do, but the position would be a lot more credible if the issue has been raised by the military rather than two anti-war congressmen.
There was some sort of dust-up with muslims and redcoats in India a long time ago, wasn't there, over paper cartridges (that you had to bite) lubricated with pork fat, so that native troops rebelled?
You may have a point.
Stamp a Star of David on every bullet used to take out a Muslim fanatic.
Abercrombie, a real whacko BTW, should know that the Middle East conspiracy theorist will ASSUME that we are using Israeli ammo whether or not we actually do. We get no credit for restraint.
Once the 'training ammo' gets distributed, nobody is going to look closely when they are loading their magazines. Just plain stupid.
I'm sorry you chose to overlook my point and change the subject.
the old as islam adage "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" is in effect. When its over, they will again be just another neighborhood of arab muslims, and proceed as such.
There is no "winning the hearts and minds".....they are simply being pragmatic right now.
Leave it to a Dim and a RINO to get their drawers in a knot about making sure that we don't use any Israeli-made anything in combat with terrorists! Just when you think it can't get more ridiculous........Wouldn't want to "offend" "precious muslim sensitivities" (GAG!) by using anything that might have been made by Israel! It might make the terrorists get real mad at us! FEH!
These "elected" representatives need to be retired and replaced by servicemen who have had to face death to protect the sorry butts of the Abercrummys of the country.
You are wishing away Israel by suggesting that it is better that US (and British) soldiers die from lack of inadequate ammunition than that they shoot Muslims with bullets manufactured in the Jewish state.
I accept that this is the Eurabian way, but that is not how we view the world from the vantage point of the United States.
we should coat our small arms projectiles with the fat of abercrombie and nadler!
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