Made in the USA

I know this world is killing you
Oh, Alison, my aim is true
--Alison (My Aim is True), Elvis Costello

I had a brother at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
--Born in the USA, Bruce Sringsteen
_____________

Observations on a recent photo of a Mahdi army fighter taken by AFP embedded photographer Essam al-Sudani (USA Today, 3/28.) They are not staged shots.

• The fighter has an AK-47 with a good flash suppressor/muzzle brake. He also has a good quality rifle scope affixed to his rifle with Weaver see-through scope mounts made in the U.S.A.These allow the shooter to use iron sights for close-quarters combat, and flexibility to use his sniper scope for aimed long-range fire. Hence his AK is formidable for fighting in built-up areas.

• The fighter is wearing an assault-type vest to keep his combat goodies in order.

• He is wearing sandals.

• This fighter is a well-trained shooter. He has a good stock weld, he is not gripping his rifle too tightly and he has good shooting support. Ranger will say that he is as well trained as a U.S. soldier in rifle marksmanship.

Other photos from the same photographer, such as the above, indicate a standardization of weapons. This commonality indicates a professional nature, something one would expect the Mahdi army would gain after five years of internecine war. It is possible their technical and tactical skills rival those of the U.S. military, and equal or exceed those of the Iraqi forces.

It is also evident they fight for something greater than dollars, unlike the Iraqi National Forces.

Items 1-4 add up to about $1,000 USD, depending on whether the sandals are TEVA's or cheap Chinese knock-offs. It costs $35,000 to equip a U.S. soldier.

Final intelligence indicator: these fighters do not have their baseball hats on backwards, so it is clear they are anti-American.