Snipers in Iraq

WashTimes ^ | 10 FEB 2007 | Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough

[radar101]

U.S. intelligence agencies have built their own version of the famous Russian-designed AK-47 assault rifle for use by American snipers in Iraq. The snipers are firing at one form of deadly insurgent and terrorist attack, the so-called "spray and pray" method used by those who try to sow terror by emerging from hiding and firing a machine gun randomly into crowds. The special U.S. snipers have used .50-caliber long-range rifles for killing terrorists. Now, they are using the modified AK-47s to kill insurgents without a normal shot to the head. Instead, snipers are killing insurgents with shots to the heart, and creating dissension and doubt in the groups over who is behind the sniping. The 7.62 mm round used by the AK-47 differs from the 7.62 mm sniper round used in normal U.S. sniper ammunition and creates a different wound.

[DainBramage]

Man the media does not care a whit about aiding the enemy.

[Erik Latranyi]

The liberals have destroyed our intelligence services.

First, by gutting and slashing after the Church Committee.

Second, by leaks to the media that reveal the inner workings of an organization that could never stand up to public scrutiny. Those leaks have led to lawyers second-guessing every step.

Intelligence services are like hot dogs. Don't ask what's in it or how did it get there. Just accept it.

[Doctor Raoul]

This is Gertz. He's hardly a liberal. He's the guy who exposed a lot of Clinton's dealings with China.

[GAB-1955]

I don't think your response is appropriate. I know Bill Gertz ; he's not your liberal lefty writer. Furthermore, don't you think the enemy already knows about this tactic?

Back in World War II, Ernie Pyle was writing about flying in American dive bombers, including details about tactics. This is the same thing.

We are not a dictatorship, despite the claims of our opposite numbers on DU. We have a right to know how the war is going and what's being done. The military itself provides hundreds of postings per week about unit deployments and tactics and the opinions of senior commanders. Gertz and Scarborough probably got this story from the military.

So, before you say "the media is giving it all away," start thinking "What are they giving away and why?" Of course, that's not easy to do when your mind is prejudged.

[MaDeuce]

"This is Gertz. He's hardly a liberal. He's the guy who exposed a lot of Clinton's dealings with China."

Then why is he exposing American sniper tactics in the media?

[TET1968]

This is one of those times when you hope a totally bogus story fed to an Historically Left Wing rag, is believed.

Hope it causes a lot of confusion and fear among the diaper heads.
On the other hand if the terrorists can dress up in U S uniforms and drive official Chevy SUVs' into a secured area and murder seven of ours....I think it's perfectly acceptable to off them with their own "famous Russian-designed"
weapons.

[Doctor Raoul]

Furthermore, don't you think the enemy already knows about this tactic?

Maybe, maybe not before publication.

Concur Gertz is one of the good guys, however, the bad guys were supposed to believe that they a "blue on blue" problem with that "spray and pray" tactic. Now that it's out there, they won't attribute even a real "blue on blue" engagement to their own folks if they're aware of this story.

Question is, how well will this information get distributed to all the bad guys.

Personally, I'm not happy they published this one.

[tiger-one]

I hardly think this is a tactic. All sniping is not "one shot one kill" from any particular gun or caliber. What's the difference between a head, center mass, or apex [the family jewels] shot?

[org.whodat]

So they are using AK's chambered for the 308, hardly anything new, could be bought commercially for several years. Doubt if they are very accurate, however, the 308 bullet will put you down for keeps and the 223 will not.

[FreedomPoster]

The Washington Times is hardly "an Historically Left Wing rag".

[DainBramage]

Why are you insulting me? You tell me one single advantage that the military would have releasing this info?

Bill Gertz is a pentagon reporter and no more. He gets it wrong just like anybody else. When you start taking one mans information as being solid gold no matter what IMO you've made a big mistake. Go to the bottom of that column itself. They are apologizing for the mistakes on the last column.

KMA is my prejudgment on you.

[M Kehoe]

Good morning.

Personally, I'm not happy they published this one.

Neither am I.

5.56mm

[FReepaholic]

...on't you think the enemy already knows about this tactic?...

That's been used a lot to justify revealing secrets.

Heard it a lot during the Cold War: "Don't you think the Russians already know...?"

Well, the truth is: THEY MIGHT NOT!

In fact, odds are they DON'T!

At least not until now.

[tcostell]

All true. I can't imagine a "sniper" using that lobbed 7.62x39 bullet for anything beyond 300 yards. And forget about those loose tolerance AK's hitting anything reliably at that distance.

I know... trigger control, breathing and practice, practice, practice, but an AK's basic design is simply not that accurate, and the bullet is not flat shooting enough for long range.

I don't think they guy has any idea what he's talking about. It sounds like basically gibberish to me.

[Kozak]

Help the boys with some green. I've bought the "sniper bracelet for myself and every family member. Profits go to buy them specialized gear not supplied by the Pentagon.

The bracelet also has the wonderful property of causing spontaneous combustion among any liberals who notice it....

http://americansnipers.org/index.html

[Kozak]

I think they are using the 7.62 x 54 round used in the Dragunov.

[wgflyer]

"Ernie Pyle was writing about flying in American dive bombers, including details about tactics. This is the same thing"

Not exactly. Ernie was in the foxholes with the troops and everything Ernie wrote went through rigid military censors. It would be hard to say that today's media suffers the same inhibition. It really isn't the same thing. We have much more trust in Bill Gertz than your standard lib reporter, but I must admit that when I read this my first thought was, "This is interesting, but why am I seeing it in print?"

[McGavin999]

WTH is wrong with them? Why on earth would they publish something like this? Are they taking their paychecks directly from Osama Bin Laden?

[SamuraiScot]

You tell me one single advantage that the military would have releasing this info?

Messing with the terrorists' minds. The more bullets they find that they think might be from an all-seeing sniper, the better. Fodder for the minds of superstitious cowards.