Summary of Enemy Weapons in Iraq - Part 2

Who are the bad guys? Most of the carnage is caused by the Zarqawi-led al Qaeda group. They operate mostly in Anbar Province (Fallujah and Ramadi). They are mostly non-Iraqi Jihadists from all over the Muslim world. Most enter Iraq through Syria, and then travel down the "rat line" which is a trail of towns along the Euphrates River. Most of these are hardcore terrorists from al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Hamas. Here's a list of the weapons being used by these groups:

AK47 - Most common weapon found throughout Iraq. Works better in the desert than the M16, and the .308 Russian round kills reliably - but the enemy can't shoot worth beans, relying mostly on the undisciplined "spray and pray" method. Unfortunately, there has recently been an increase in precision weapons shipped in from Iran. We need to shutdown the border in order to win the war.

Fun Fact: Captured enemies have marveled at the marksmanship of our guys and how hard we fight. They are apparently taught in Jihad school that Americans rely solely on technology and can be easily beaten in close quarters combat. Let's just say the enemy knows better now.

Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) - This is the weapon most feared by our soldiers. It is simple to operate, reliable in aim and destruction, and very common in the streets. The enemy responded to our armored Humvees by aiming at the windshields - often at point blank range. they've accumulated many kills with this weapon.

Improvised Explosive Device (IED) - This is the biggest killer of all the enemy weapons. And an IED can be anything from old Soviet anti-armor mines to jury-rigged artillery shells. Many found in Jordan were left in abandoned cars. The enemy would take a couple 155mm artillery shells and wire them together, then detonate them by cell phone. the explosions are enormous. Even an M1 tank is not safe against an IED. The Iranian extremists are supplying more sophisticated charges designed to penetrate armor.

Fun Fact: We find about 40% of the IEDs before they detonate, and the bomb disposal guys are the unsung heroes of this war.

Mortars and Rockets - These weapons are very prevalent in Iraq. The Soviet era 122mm rockets (with an 18km range) are becoming more prevalent. It is more of a psychological weapon than anything else. The enemy mortar teams would drive up, jump out of the vehicles, fire a few rounds, and then speed off in a matter of seconds.

Despite these weapons, morale among our guys is very high. We not only believe we are winning, but we are winning decisively. We are stunned and dismayed by what we see in the American press. The embedded reporters are despised and distrusted. We are inflicting casualties at a rate of 20-1 and then see crap like "America is losing in Iraq!" on the television and in the print media. Bottom line - all the guys believe there are not enough soldiers there to drive the final stake through the heart of the insurgency. We need more troops to shut down the borders with Iran and Syria. The Iranians and the Syrians just can't stand the thought of Iraq being an American ally. They are fighting hard to keep that from happening!