More Fun With Firearms

In all fairness to our hapless DEA friend (see "Irony", 4/14/06), he's not the only guy who has a problem handling firearms on the job.

On the surface, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi seems like a badass. As one of the prime movers behind the "insurgency" in Iraq, he's responsible for ordering the deaths of thousands of Iraqi soldiers, police and civilians, as well as a number of US/coalition troops. He personally beheaded American civilian Nick Berg, and broadcast the video to the world.

Though he may be handy with a sword, this video shows al-Zarqawi doesn't know the first thing about automatic weapons. In fact, he looks downright scared of it. How embarassing must that be, to be a bigtime terrorist murderer and not even know how to clear a jammed weapon? Even cooks and file clerks in the US army know that much. Hell, I've never had military training of any kind, and even I know how to clear a jam. Also, he swings the weapon around like a drunken sailor, inadvertantly pointing it at his compatriots. That's what's called "poor weapon handling", and would get your ass in a sling in any competent army in the world. Obviously, al-Zarqawi hasn't spent too much time in the field. He talks a good game about jihad, but when the lead starts flying he's in the rear with the beer, like all good chickenhawks.

As a bonus, make sure you watch the end of the clip, which shows the M249 being handed off to an underling, who promptly grabs it by the hot barrel and burns himself.