RAMONES!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Jun14.html
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BAGHDAD, June 14 -- The Iraqi guard at the entrance of the police academy, one of several places where citizens could surrender illegal weapons to U.S. occupation forces, shook his head when asked how many had met today's deadline for handing over guns without penalty.

"We've had plenty of reporters, but no weapons come in," he said.

A two-week weapons amnesty program designed to reduce the number of heavy armaments in the hands of Iraqis ended today with scant results. Nationwide, 123 pistols, 76 semiautomatic rifles and shotguns, 435 automatic rifles, 46 machine guns, 162 antitank rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 11 antiaircraft weapons and 381 hand grenades had been turned in as of this morning, according to the U.S. military. There seemed to be no last-minute rush.

U.S. officials, while describing the response as light, were quick to explain that the goal was never to disarm Iraqis, but principally to inform them that banned weapons must not be carried in public. As of Sunday, it will be illegal for Iraqis to carry weapons in public without a permit. Nor can they possess or hide machine guns, high explosives, weapons designed to destroy armored vehicles or aircraft or arms that fire ammunition larger than 7.62mm. However, troops will not go house to house in search of such arms. Rather, the U.S. military will rely on "actionable intelligence" in making raids on suspected caches.

No one knows how much weaponry rests in Iraqi civilian hands. Farmers carry rifles into their fields, and motorists routinely pack pistols and AK-47 assault rifles in their cars. Rare is the wedding celebration that does not include a fusillade of rifle fire to greet the happy couple.

As ambushes of U.S. troops have increased markedly in recent weeks, getting guns off the streets has become a priority for occupation forces. Commanders have reported several busts of weapons caches, including one today that uncovered 300 tank and artillery shells, 475 rocket-propelled grenades and 1,000 light arms.

Still, it is not clear how public possession will be curbed. In Baghdad, a city of 5 million people, less than half the Iraqi police force is on duty. They lack squad cars and, in any case, take to the streets only in the company of U.S. armored or heavily armed jeep units.

At a district police station in eastern Baghdad, military police Lt. Andrew Sherzinger said only two Iraqis had dropped by to surrender weapons -- one machine gun and a grenade launcher -- during the amnesty period.

"It's hard to figure the effectiveness of the policy anyway," Sherzinger said. "According to the rules, it's okay to keep an AK-47 in your home. But if there are 20 males in the house, does that mean each can have a rifle? That would be enough to arm a militia."
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well..

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Come on

The_Dude

like they expected a mass turnout in the first place.


what incentive do they have?

offer them something in return, preferebly cash and you can see 'em flowing in

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"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

seretogis

Yeah, I'm shocked that they didn't offer a weapon-buyback program. We could buy the AKs for $50 per weapon, and then sell them to Iranians.

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seretogis - sieg heil
perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most, forgot how it feels well almost
no one to blame always the same, open my eyes wake up in flames

KillerYoda

I wonder if the NRA is okay with this?

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"So you're Chekov, huh? Well, this here's McCoy. Find a Spock, we got us an away team."

seretogis

At the moment, Iraq has more freedom when it comes to firearm-ownership than we do in the US. If I'm not mistaken, Iraqis are still allowed to own fully automatic rifles, they just need to keep them in their homes for personal protection.

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seretogis - sieg heil
perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most, forgot how it feels well almost
no one to blame always the same, open my eyes wake up in flames

Sparhawk

I see a mass migration of NRA members in our future.

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"In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's incredibly hard. It's - and it's hard work. I understand how hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV screens how hard it is. But it's necessary work. We're making progress. It is hard work."

The_Dude

that's less conservatives we have to worry about! (JOKE!, dont take seriously)

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"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

seretogis

Naw, I've shot a full-auto on a couple of occasions and while it is "neat", it's not something that I would spend hours lobbying for the right to do.

Omg, don't make me get Harry Browne to kick your butt!

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seretogis - sieg heil
perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most, forgot how it feels well almost
no one to blame always the same, open my eyes wake up in flames

Sparhawk

I've done the 3-round burst. Next time I go to Panama, though, I'm playing around with an AK-47 *grin*

__________________
"In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's incredibly hard. It's - and it's hard work. I understand how hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV screens how hard it is. But it's necessary work. We're making progress. It is hard work."

subaqua

Maybe the coalition (see, spreading the blame) should start an incentive scheme whereby local villagers collect up weapons, and in exchange for every automatic weapon handed in we agree to sweep clear an acre of land for mines and unexploded cluster bomb munitions.

win/win situation, surely.

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I used to have OCD, but I've got it totally under control now.

Scipio

The Iraqi populace will always be armed. Suppose you lived in Dallas, only there were no police. Wouldn't you want an AK-47?

Hey, at least Saddam's gone

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"Erections lasting more than 4 hours, though rare, require immediate medical attention."

geep

I think in Iraq an AK-47 is more of a fashion statement than protection. It didn't stop Saddam from rounding them up and planting them in mass graves.

Daval

Now wouldnt that be nice!

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"It is impossible to obtain a conviction for sodomy from an English jury. Half of them don't believe that it can physically be done, and the other half are doing it."
Winston Churchill

Macheath

Any NRA members who went to Iraq wouldn't be alone, they could hang out with Franklin Graham's Christian fundies.

They could build God and Gun Clubs with golf courses, rifle ranges and towering churches of glass and steel - keep the unsaved out with razor wire and gun turrets.

"Your ass may belong to my M-16 but your soul belongs to Samaritan's Purse"

reconmike

I have plenty of hardware, I dont need to go to Iraq again to use it.

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Where is Darwin when ya need him?

KillerYoda

There are police in Dallas?

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"So you're Chekov, huh? Well, this here's McCoy. Find a Spock, we got us an away team."

Easytiger

The irony of Americans disarming people...