Looks like a few dozen more "innocent Iraqi civilians" to add to the Lancet's count. Wonder if they were compiling any stats during that.

Of course they're civilians... that's what you call people who don't belong to a standing army.

Still can't believe they are sniping with a .223 M4 of all things.

"Mahdi Army!" Jeepers; I thought they were all slaughtered at Omdurman.

Glad they're *still* not bullet-proof.

Cordially...

It's an old video.

Did it bug anyone else that it's listed as a "mercenary sniper"?

No, he was a mercenary working for the civilian security contractor (correction:) Blackwater. I mean, technically they are mercenaries. They were apparently called in to protect the CPA from a little rioting by the Mahdi army.

"Still can't believe they are sniping with a .223 M4 of all things"

at that, the enemy would be at a closer range than they seem in the video.

The .223 M4 will allow a much higher rate of fire than a bolt-action .308, an important consideration when facing a large number of enemies. Also, the one in the video may have been accurized (note the flat-top and custom fore-end). In a pinch, The M4 might serve for the ranges encountered within a city.

The Blackwater sniper might have preferred an M40 or similar, but probably was limited to what he had on hand. Regardless, he appeared to be making good use of it.

Bill, the contractors (and yes, they technically are mercs) come from Blackwater USA, of Moyock, NC. The employee featured in the video is what they call a "Designated Defensive Marksman," but anyone else would call him a sniper, or if they are smart, Sir.

They are hiring for that position, by the way, but you need to be Spec Ops, Secret Service, or similarly qualified to get in.

The rifle the sniper is using IS NOT an M4, (though that is what the two other shooters are using). He is using an AR-15 target variant, something along the lines of a Bushmaster Varminter:

http://www.bushmaster.com/shopping/weapons/lr-24v.asp

They tend to use custom cartridges with heavier bullets than normal AR15/M4/M16 rifles use, and are accurate and lethal out to 500-600 yards in trained hands.

On an interesting side note, I was counting rounds to see if the the rifle was chambered in 5.56 NATO or 6.8 SPC (6.8 SPC has fewer rounds per magazine) when I noticed that the sniper was using 40 round magazines loaded up with 36 rounds each.

I wouldn't want to be on his bad side, but if I was him, I would have rather had something built on the AR-10 or M1A platform for the better stopping power and practical range of the 7.62 NATO round...

Why is everybody looking at me like that?

Why is everybody looking at me like that?

Because we were all thinking the same thing. ;)

I'm acquainted with the Blackwater guys... did some training at their facility in NC a few years back. They are Spec-ops/SEAL-run from top to bottom, and very well-regarded in the LE/SOF community. Plenty of guys from elite units go to work for them after they separate.

They are professionals.

Off topic, but September 24th at 12 o'clock, in front of the White House, International Answer will be gathering together a selection of the finest quality imported and domestic moonbats.

Jeff - How is that off-topic?

;)

the video was dark on my computer, I couldn't tell what variation the rifleman was using; I thought the spent cases looked kind of large for a 5.56- maybe a variant in 308? the rifle didn't appear to kick like it was a 308, tho.

I spend a fair amount of time in the Moyock vicinity on the family farm, apropos of nuttin'.

I've read about an incident that sounds a lot like the synopsis on the bottom of that page -- bunch of contractors holding a roof.