US Military confiscates weapons in Baghdad to make it safer.

[TWiley]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20090126-07
Jan. 26, 2009

ISF confiscate weapons, clear munitions from Rashid
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO


BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces confiscated munitions and seized weapons caches Jan. 25 in Baghdad’s Rashid district.

At approximately 3 p.m., Iraqi Army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Brigade, 6th IA Division, partnered with Company B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, confiscated an anti-armor mine and nine AK-47 assault rifles during neighborhood clearing operations in Rashid’s Saydiyah community.

Enforcing Baghdad’s “Weapons Free” Policy, Iraqi National Police from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, partnered with Company D, 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt., 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., confiscated an AK-47 assault rifle and a .22-cal. rifle during neighborhood clearance operations in the Shurta community.

Meanwhile at approximately 6:30 p.m., Iraqi National Police from the 1st Company, 3rd Bn., 5th Bde., 2nd NP Div., partnered with Co. D, 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt., seized a weapons cache consisting a rocket propelled grenade, two kilograms of gun powder, a grenade, a stick of dynamite, 1,000 rounds of PKC machinegun ammunition and 100 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition during a cordon and search operation in Rashid’s Shurta community. The NP transported the munitions and weapons to a nearby JSS.

“Since the start of Iraq’s Security Agreement, combined operations yielded numerous weapon caches; however, the ISF continue to work independently day and night to secure the future of the Rashid district,” said Maj. Dave Olson, spokesman, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “We are committed to assisting the ISF in securing their country and the Iraqi people in accordance with Iraq’s Security Agreement.”

story here: http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&ta...

Evidently, the military is confiscating weapons to make Iraq safer. Maybe the NRA should straighten the US military out and insist they proliferate weapons quick before it gets too dangerous over there. We all know how dangerous a drunken party can get when there are no guns laying around. As I have heard right here hundreds of times .... assault weapons like the AK-47 make society safer and more polite right, so why confiscate them? They too could experience the same safety and luxery as experienced on the US / Mexico boarder today. Now, if we could only sell more guns in that area .....

[Postman]

1. But isn't having everyone armed the right-wing's mantra of ensuring safety?

If ever there were proof that the rightwing is full of shit on the issue of guns, it is the situation as described in the above story.

[Edweird]

3. Uh, there is a war going on. I guess you've missed some recent current events.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. No, There's An Occupation Going On

It's really been an occuption since the first two months passed by. There hasn't been a "war" since then.
GAC

[Edweird]

6. Ok, Fair enough.

[Webster Green]

2. Whack-A-Mole in Baghdad

A futile mission if ever there was one.

Need to end the occupation. :think:

[Lasher]

4. Look, they found a .22 rifle!

Maybe that's going a little too far, I don't know.

[TWiley]

7. Maybe it was a .223?

[benEzra]

8. No, they'd have called a .223 an "assault rifle" too.

Probably a .22LR. The AK was a real one, though (AFAIK they don't have non-automatic civilian AK's in Iraq, just real selective-fire ones).

[benEzra]

9. You're not suggesting that as a model for the USA, are you?

Warrantless door-to-door searches by the military looking for "contraband"?

Not going to happen.

I doubt that taking guns from non-insurgent households isn't going to "help make Iraq safer," though. The vast majority of those raided aren't insurgents yet, but searching their home at gunpoint and taking their guns might well radicalize some of them. Although the fact that in one case they searched an entire neighborhood and picked up one AK and a .22 suggests that either the searches of most households were cursory and/or the homeowners didn't cooperate, or else the soldiers weren't confiscating all rifles, just those in possession of people they suspected of being involved with the insurgency.

[gratuitous]

10. I'm confused, too

Where's Wayne LaPierre when the people of Iraq need him? He should get on the next plane to Baghdad and get everyone squared away (especially those socialists in the U.S. Military) as to the facts of the effectiveness of widespread proliferation of guns in pacifying a neighborhood, an area, a city and a country.