Dem Senators Question Iraq Rifle Purchase
Dem Senators Question Iraq Rifle Purchase
Wed Jan 7, 5:28 PM ET Add Politics - U. S. Congress to My Yahoo!
By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Two Democratic senators asked the U.S. occupation authority in Iraq (news - web sites) on Wednesday to explain its intended purchase of up to 50,000 AK-47 assault rifles for Iraq security forces, when they said the country is filled with such weapons.
The September solicitation to contractors sought prices for up to 50,000 "brand new, never fired, fixed stock" weapons made in 1987 or later.
"We question whether this is an efficient use of U.S. taxpayer dollars in a country already awash with AK-47s, many of which have been confiscated by coalition forces and are sitting in stockpiles," Sens. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Ron Wyden of Oregon wrote L. Paul Bremer III, head of the U.S. governing authority.
The senators cited news reports that the captured weapons are in excellent condition, and said there would be little cost involved to distribute them to security forces
There are 5 million AK's alone in Iraq. They no more need to buy weapons than they need to import sand. This is just another example of the incompetance of the Young Republicans Abroad.
posted by Steve @ 9:03:00 PM
