Remember that recent video released on Al Jazeera where they show Abu Musab al Zarqawi firing a machinegun? The weapon is the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) to be precise. Well, the Defense Department released another video, which contain the “blooper” reels that Al Jazeera never aired. The portions of the tape that ended up on the cutting room floor show Zarqawi fumbling around with the weapon, unable to clear a simple stoppage, and having his little terrorist minions come over to give him a hand with it. Further, it shows one of these clowns grabbing the red-hot barrel with his hand and burning himself. These could have been scenes taken right out of a Keystone Kops movie.
On the heels of this hilarious outtakes video, members of the mainstream media have come out publicly to defend Zarqawi’s weapon handling skills! Both CNN and The New York Times have gone on record stating the the SAW is a “heavy machinegun,” that it takes exhaustive “special training” to master it, that it has a “heavy trigger pull,” and that it is totally understandable that the terrorist beheader in question should be forgiven for his gaffes.
Read about it here, here, here, here and here.
Now, I’ve humped the SAW more klicks (that’s kilometers to the uninitiated) than I care to remember. I’ve even had occasion to fire it as well. And as is the case with any infantry arm, it is designed for simplicity, and ease of use. Engineered to be operated and maintained by someone of humble origins, who is barely able to carry on the most basic mental functions due to fatigue. The weapon is easy to use, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to get it spitting out 5.56 NATO rounds at 700 rounds per minute.
So in my humble opinion, I have drawn the followng conclusions:
- Zarqawi is barely able to make basic mechanical devices function—therefore he is a buffoon.
- CNN and The New York Times are apologists for Zarqawi—who view the world through a prism that is empathetic to our enemies.
The media continues to astonish me in their flirtations with treason. It comes as no surprise to me that their market share continues to dwindle, as the American people increasingly turn their backs on them.
(H/T Powerline)Â
MarcusÂ
Update:Â The Jawa report has a link to the actual video footage here.
Judging by the lack of basic weapons’ handling proficiency, muzzle discipline, and the idiot grabbing the barrel, I’d say the insurgents are seriously lacking in good NCOs…probably shot them all on the range.
I wonder who cleared the weapon when they were done and how many casualties that generated?
That zarq can’t find his military ass with both hands doesn’t really surprise me. And I wish I could claim surprise that the media would come to his defense… Seems our media never miss a chance to support our enemies.
Out Here
Maybe one of these CNN/NYT ‘experts’ can demonstrate for zarq next time. It does make me wonder what credentials you have to have to be an ‘expert’. Ranks right up there with calling a Bradley a tank.
Amen Blackhawk,
I’ve never been trained on the SAW myself, but will lay odds that a Gunnery Sergeant could get me up to speed in a day or less.
As for the “experts” in the MSM, I wouldn’t trust most of them with a water pistol.
Notice how fast they (the MSM) put the kabosh to the embedded reporters? Much concern at the editorial level that they were going “native.” Be a real pity for their carefully constructed reality to come into contact with folks who knew what the hell they were talking about.
Out Here
Wouldn’t want to shake anyone’s core values, or staunchly held beliefs after all.
The embed’s perspective was a lot different than those reporters who stay in the (relative) safety of the green zone. Rather than use these two perspectives to develop a better, more objective, story, MSM takes the chickenshit route out. Their reporters now are very dependent on second hand information…very dangerous.
Second and third hand information fed to them by “stringers” who are largely Iraqi. Iraqis, whose loyalties are questionable at best.