tricknologist
12-28-2005, 01:10 AM
US Forced to Import Bullets from Israel (http://auto_sol.tao.ca/node/view/1544)
as Troops use 250,000 for Every Rebel Killed
Submitted by ant on September 25, 2005 - 9:17am.
A&S News Wire | Breaking News (Latest Stories) | Background | Anti-Imperialism | Iraq
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
Published: 25 September 2005
US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an
estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American
ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having
to import supplies from Israel.
A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds
of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five
years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as
changes in military doctrine.
"The Department of Defense's increased requirements for small- and
medium-calibre ammunitions have largely been driven by increased weapons
training requirements, dictated by the army's transformation to a more
self-sustaining and lethal force - which was accelerated after the attacks
of 11 September, 2001 - and by the deployment of forces to conduct recent
US military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq," said the report by the
General Accounting Office (GAO).
Estimating how many bullets US forces have expended for every insurgent
killed is not a simple or precisely scientific matter. The former head of
US forces in Iraq, General Tommy Franks, famously claimed that his forces
"don't do body counts".
But senior officers have recently claimed "great successes" in Iraq, based
on counting the bodies of insurgents killed. Maj-Gen Rick Lynch, the top
US military spokesman in Iraq, said 1,534 insurgents had been seized or
killed in a recent operation in the west of Baghdad. Other estimates from
military officials suggest that at least 20,000 insurgents have been
killed in President George Bush's "war on terror".
John Pike, director of the Washington military research group
GlobalSecurity.org, said that, based on the GAO's figures, US forces had
expended around six billion bullets between 2002 and 2005. "How many
evil-doers have we sent to their maker using bullets rather than bombs? I
don't know," he said.
"If they don't do body counts, how can I? But using these figures it works
out at around 300,000 bullets per insurgent. Let's round that down to
250,000 so that we are underestimating."
Pointing out that officials say many of these bullets have been used for
training purposes, he said: "What are you training for? To kill
insurgents."
Kathy Kelly, a spokeswoman for the peace group Voices in the Wilderness,
said Mr Bush believed security for the American people could come only
from the use of force. Truer security would be achieved if the US
developed fairer relations with other countries and was not involved in
the occupation of Iraq. The President, said Ms Kelly, should learn from
Israel's experience of "occupying the Palestinians" rather than buying its
ammunition.
The GAO report notes that the three government-owned, contractor-operated
plants that produce small- and medium-calibre ammunition were built in
1941.
Though millions of dollars have been spent on upgrading the facilities,
they remain unable to meet current munitions needs in their current state.
"The government-owned plant producing small-calibre ammunition cannot meet
the increased requirements, even with modernisation efforts," said the
report.
"Also, commercial producers within the national technology and industrial
base have not had the capacity to meet these requirements. As a result,
the Department of Defense had to rely at least in part on foreign
commercial producers to meet its small-calibre ammunition needs."
A report in Manufacturing & Technology News said that the Pentagon
eventually found two producers capable of meeting its requirements. One of
these was the US firm Olin-Winchester.
The other was Israel Military Industries, an Israeli ammunition
manufacturer linked to the Israeli government, which produces the bulk of
weapons and ordnance for the Israeli Defence Force.
The Pentagon reportedly bought 313 million rounds of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and
50-calibre ammunition last year and paid $10m (about £5.5m) more than it
would have cost for it to produce the ammunition at its own facilities.
as Troops use 250,000 for Every Rebel Killed
Submitted by ant on September 25, 2005 - 9:17am.
A&S News Wire | Breaking News (Latest Stories) | Background | Anti-Imperialism | Iraq
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
Published: 25 September 2005
US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an
estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American
ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having
to import supplies from Israel.
A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds
of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five
years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as
changes in military doctrine.
"The Department of Defense's increased requirements for small- and
medium-calibre ammunitions have largely been driven by increased weapons
training requirements, dictated by the army's transformation to a more
self-sustaining and lethal force - which was accelerated after the attacks
of 11 September, 2001 - and by the deployment of forces to conduct recent
US military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq," said the report by the
General Accounting Office (GAO).
Estimating how many bullets US forces have expended for every insurgent
killed is not a simple or precisely scientific matter. The former head of
US forces in Iraq, General Tommy Franks, famously claimed that his forces
"don't do body counts".
But senior officers have recently claimed "great successes" in Iraq, based
on counting the bodies of insurgents killed. Maj-Gen Rick Lynch, the top
US military spokesman in Iraq, said 1,534 insurgents had been seized or
killed in a recent operation in the west of Baghdad. Other estimates from
military officials suggest that at least 20,000 insurgents have been
killed in President George Bush's "war on terror".
John Pike, director of the Washington military research group
GlobalSecurity.org, said that, based on the GAO's figures, US forces had
expended around six billion bullets between 2002 and 2005. "How many
evil-doers have we sent to their maker using bullets rather than bombs? I
don't know," he said.
"If they don't do body counts, how can I? But using these figures it works
out at around 300,000 bullets per insurgent. Let's round that down to
250,000 so that we are underestimating."
Pointing out that officials say many of these bullets have been used for
training purposes, he said: "What are you training for? To kill
insurgents."
Kathy Kelly, a spokeswoman for the peace group Voices in the Wilderness,
said Mr Bush believed security for the American people could come only
from the use of force. Truer security would be achieved if the US
developed fairer relations with other countries and was not involved in
the occupation of Iraq. The President, said Ms Kelly, should learn from
Israel's experience of "occupying the Palestinians" rather than buying its
ammunition.
The GAO report notes that the three government-owned, contractor-operated
plants that produce small- and medium-calibre ammunition were built in
1941.
Though millions of dollars have been spent on upgrading the facilities,
they remain unable to meet current munitions needs in their current state.
"The government-owned plant producing small-calibre ammunition cannot meet
the increased requirements, even with modernisation efforts," said the
report.
"Also, commercial producers within the national technology and industrial
base have not had the capacity to meet these requirements. As a result,
the Department of Defense had to rely at least in part on foreign
commercial producers to meet its small-calibre ammunition needs."
A report in Manufacturing & Technology News said that the Pentagon
eventually found two producers capable of meeting its requirements. One of
these was the US firm Olin-Winchester.
The other was Israel Military Industries, an Israeli ammunition
manufacturer linked to the Israeli government, which produces the bulk of
weapons and ordnance for the Israeli Defence Force.
The Pentagon reportedly bought 313 million rounds of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and
50-calibre ammunition last year and paid $10m (about £5.5m) more than it
would have cost for it to produce the ammunition at its own facilities.