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August 28, 2003
Iraq is full of Russian weapons, as Russia was Iraq's major arms supplier for the last three decades. As a result, American troops have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with a lot of these weapons, and in some cases, use them on the job. Learning how to field strip (take apart for cleaning) Russian weapons is a useful skill, and firing off Russian rifles, machine-guns and rocket launchers is a form of entertainment. For some units, like tank battalions, where every soldier does not get a rifle (only a pistol), the AK-47s are actually being used. Many tank troops are serving as infantry, and an AK-47 is considered more appropriate for that job than a pistol. Special Forces and commandos have long used AK-47s in combat, as it confuses the enemy. Assault rifles have a different sound, and it doesn't take you long to learn the different sounds of the AK-47 and M-16. Troops in combat often keep track of who is where by the sound of the weapons, so an AK-47 in the hands of a Special Forces trooper or commando provides opportunities to get the drop on the enemy. But in Iraq, the AK-47 also proves useful in urban areas, where it's lack of accuracy at long ranges (compared to the M-16) is not a problem. The AK-47 is also less likely to jam in the dusty conditions found in Iraq, and there's lots of free ammo to be had (although the quality is uneven). Using enemy weapons is a common practice. The U.S. did this frequently in Vietnam and during World War II and other nations were even more enthusiastic users of captured (usually from American allies) U.S. weapons.
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