What % of insurgent weapons comes from Iran? What % is American made? What % is Russian made?

[OregonBlue]

What % is German, French, etc.? Everyone is in the arms business. The real question is not whether they have found some Iranian weapons, it's does that prove anything. If the majority of the weapons are U.S., does that prove we are financing and arming the insurgents? If they're Russian, are they financing and arming the insurgents? Has any "reporter" asked that question of * or DOD or CIA or State or anyone?

[Tom Joad]

1. Most of the weapons for foreign fighters comes from the US.

Because most of the foreign fighters in Iraq are from the US, in the US military.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

2. US/NATO just bought up Russian arms in Kosovo/Serbia...

... as part of the peace/governmental organization in the former Yugoslavia entities. Thousands of them. In the past 6 months. Where did they go?

[bigtree]

3. are they off the street or can they be credibly traced back to some government source?

[ohio2007]

4. Who makes the cheapest rifles, more bang for the buck ?

Talk about giving an official seal of approval to show the world

[Solo_in_MD]

5. Kalashnikov clones

but the black market, Asia and Africa are already awash in AKs as it is.

[ohio2007]

7. Yep, China, the "Wal-Mart" of cheap knockoffs.

got the patent ( lol ) from Russia and
falling prices can be heard globally.
oh, maybe thats gunfire

[Solo_in_MD]

8. A lot were made in the Balkans too.

[ohio2007]

12. That is where some of "the defense budget" expenditures

will be going.
I could be wrong but if the Balkin states to warm up to our $, they may offer cheap rent in the future ?
Western Europe is rather pricey with base rental fee's.

[Solo_in_MD]

6. Irrelevant, unless its new production

Weapons go through lots of hands and once it hits the end user nation its not possible to trace. That said, most of the middle east uses weapons based on the Kalsinikov design.

[KittyWampus]

9. what percent is financed from Saudis?

[ohio2007]

10. I think that is a "family matter" when talking the House of Saud.

bin Ladens brother was killed recently. The articles said he was funding political movements from Asia to Africa. I wonder how much is in his will?

[Bucky]

11. beat me to it

It ain't the metal; it's the money you need to watch. Saudi dollars are killing American troops

[ohio2007]

13. They kill us at the pump and on the open road

with our own money no less.

[cassiepriam]

14. I think Russia is in this fight more than we realize?

With their large oil reserves they stand to gain a great deal
if the Mideast oil supply is destroyed?

[OregonBlue]

16. So, what reporter will ask Snowjob or any administration official what is the percentage of each?

Who will ask what % is Russian or Chinese, etc., and ask if they are supporting and financing the insurgency? I want facts, not hyperbole.

[cassiepriam]

17. Reporter? Facts? Actually do their jobs? Funny :(

BTW I think China is in the fight too, but not sure why.

[Strelnikov_]

15. Well, the impression the CNN pentagon spokesmen are giving, 100% from Iran

Stated that shape charges, and anti-armor RPG's, now being used to effect are from Iran.

But per Juan Cole:

http://www.juancole.com/

I don't actually know of any incidents in which Shiite guerrillas in Shiite areas deployed shaped charges to kill American troops. The US casualties I see in the wire services are all in Sunni areas. There are British casualties in the deep south at the hand of Shiites, but those Shiites are anti-Iranian ones like the Garamsha Marsh Arab tribe or the Sadrist splinter group of Mahmoud Hasani al-Sarkhi (which burned down the Iranian consulate in Basra).


So, I guess CNN has concluded that Shia Iran is in league with Baathist insurgents and Whabbibist Jihadi's.

And of course, none of the money flowing in from the oil-rich Gulf Arab States could going to these weapons. Hey, maybe these predominately Sunni states are funding the Shia militias!

[librechik]

18. those facts are going to be buried deep.

[Evergreen Emerald]

19. alot of them are the stockpiles that Saddam had that we did not guard

Remember the amount of weapons that we just let people take because we did not guard them? Tons and tons of weapons were taken under our watch and now are likely used against us. The press of course will not remind the administration of that fact when they claim that the weapons are from Iran.

[Bucky]

20. My understanding is that that was the case two years ago. Today they're getting newer stuff

Iraq's western border has always been the main conduit for arms & explosives coming in. If you look at a map you'll see that's Sunni (and Baathist) Syria. The money and a very few foreign fighters are coming from Saudi Arabia. But the hardware is coming thru the west.

[AZBlue]

21. How would we really know? Most are bought on the black market illegally.

No way to know unless we find them in the rubble.