The Coming Iraqi Disaster

Despite this from the Chair, Joint Chiefs:

The Joint Chiefs chairman has a word of warning to Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: A rapid of withdrawal from Iraq would lead to a "chaotic situation" and would "turnaround the gains we have achieved, and struggled to achieve, and turn them around overnight.

...the Iraqis will have a "chaotic situation" and [a reversal of] "the gains we have achieved" no matter WHEN the US forces depart.

The reason?

In a move that could be the most enduring imprint of U.S. influence in the Arab world, American military officials in Baghdad have begun a crash program to outfit the entire Iraqi army with M-16 rifles.

The Colt M-16 and its baby brother, the M-4, are some of the least reliable battle weapons on the face of the Earth. While the AK is not exactly a target rifle (to be kind), it DOES fire every time one pulls the trigger, no matter when it was last cleaned and oiled.

The M-16 gets pneumonia when the enemy sneezes, unless you clean and lube the damnfool thing every 30 minutes or so.

Too bad for the Iraqis. We will have earned their dislike when this deal is complete.

By the way, the Confederate Yankee discovered something else in his perambulations 'cross the 'net in pursuit of the question "Why"?

Colt had relied on a series of lobbyists in Washington, but now Keys, a decorated veteran who played an important role in the 1991 Gulf War, has taken on more of those responsibilities himself.

"I knew a lot of guys up on the Hill," he said, referring to Congress. Among those is Rep. John Murtha, the powerful Pennsylvanian who is the highest-ranking Democrat on the House defense appropriations subcommittee.

Keys is the CEO of Colt Arms, which just happens to have a Pentagon M-16 contract.