Bad for the good guy, good for the bad guys and really good for the money guys
by digby
This seems like it should be an obvious cause for concern, but I doubt anyone cares much:
In its campaign across northern Syria and Iraq, the jihadist group Islamic State has been using ammunition from the United States and other countries that have been supporting the regional security forces fighting the group, according to new field data gathered by a private arms-tracking organization.
The data, part of a larger sample of captured arms and cartridges in Syria and Iraq, carries an implicit warning for policy makers and advocates of intervention.
It suggests that ammunition transferred into Syria and Iraq to help stabilize governments has instead passed from the governments to the jihadists, helping to fuel the Islamic State’s rise and persistent combat power. Rifle cartridges from the United States, the sample shows, have played a significant role.
“The lesson learned here is that the defense and security forces that have been supplied ammunition by external nations really don’t have the capacity to maintain custody of that ammunition,” said James Bevan, director of Conflict Armament Research, the organization that is gathering and analyzing weapons used by the Islamic State.
The military equipment ISIS has “procured” in Iraq is similarly American made, obviously.
I suppose e should look at the silver lining here. If America can corner the market on arms in all sides of a war, it’s a beautiful recipe for profits. And if we can keep that war going for many, many years just imagine the riches they can obtain.
Yes, taxpayers will foot the bill for both sides in these wars, obviously, but maybe we can think of it as a stimulus for the manufacturing sector. It’s a job creator!
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