tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post114696802074204546..comments2023-11-03T09:36:22.100-04:00Comments on In From the Cold: Sticking Up for the Bad GuysGeorge Smileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049707648660651119noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-1147081189344540172006-05-08T05:39:00.000-04:002006-05-08T05:39:00.000-04:00If it's no big deal, then why did his media team e...If it's no big deal, then why did his media team edit that part out?<BR/><BR/>You see, even his media handlers realized it would not put him in a good light.Red Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10699964464336470134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-1147016155775050472006-05-07T11:35:00.000-04:002006-05-07T11:35:00.000-04:00Anything's possible, and there's certainly a "them...Anything's possible, and there's certainly a "theme" to this article, namely that we shouldn't exaggerate Zarqawi's obvious difficulty in handling this weapon. <BR/><BR/> I'm ex-Air Force, so my knowledge of infantry weapons is limited. But it's clear that Zarqawi was trying to demonstrate his prowress by featuring the weapon in the video, and it's clear his skills (in that dept) are lacking. <BR/><BR/> And, as I pointed out in the blog, Zarqawi's "performance" is not a matter of being an expert, it's a matter of basic skills that anyone with any degree of weapons proficiency should be able to accomplish--such as clearing a jam. That's an issue that the NYT carefully avoids in its article.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12712369389411084085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-1146970475378530522006-05-06T22:54:00.000-04:002006-05-06T22:54:00.000-04:00I'd love to find out if the reporter called severa...I'd love to find out if the reporter called several former military men and cherry picked the quotes or if the first three he called all said the same thing: the SAW is very difficult.<BR/><BR/>Anyone want to put odds on this?usually mellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16684212852170769805noreply@blogger.com