# Have you armed an insurgent today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 6, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-armed-an-insurgent-today/414677 "2007-08-06T22:22:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-armed-an-insurgent-today/414677/1 "2007-08-06T22:22:06Z")
I pay my taxes, and some of that money goes toward the situation in Iraq whether I like it or not. Some of _that_ money goes to purchasing guns. I understand that mistakes happen, but since I’m paying for part of it, maybe we could [keep better track of them](http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2142775,00.html). > [@](#): > > More than 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols distributed to Iraqi forces by the US are missing, feared fallen into the hands of insurgents, a congressional watchdog warned today. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-armed-an-insurgent-today/414677/2 "2007-08-06T22:50:54Z")
Why yes! Yes I have, why I just…oh…what? I’m _not_ supposed to arm insurgents? Can I relabel them “surgent-ignorant”? ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-armed-an-insurgent-today/414677/3 "2007-08-06T22:55:14Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Why yes! Yes I have, why I just…oh…what? I’m _not_ supposed to arm insurgents? Can I relabel them “surgent-ignorant”? [/QUOTE] You can make donations, but they’re not tax deductible. That’s where they get you. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-armed-an-insurgent-today/414677/4 "2007-08-06T23:16:30Z")
> [@](#): > > More than 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols distributed to Iraqi forces by the US are missing, feared fallen into the hands of insurgents, a congressional watchdog warned today. I have to ask. Is it even physically possible to be _this_ fucking stupid by accident? It’s like Forrest Gump decided to make a career out of the military after all. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-armed-an-insurgent-today/414677/5 "2007-08-07T03:05:24Z")
I see this is already being [pitted](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=431765). I guess I was so unsurprised, that I couldn’t muster enough vitriol for a pitting. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-armed-an-insurgent-today/414677/6 "2007-08-07T03:36:43Z")
This is not the first time that American military weapons have ended up in the hands of the wrong people, and it probably won’t be the last. Frankly I’m surprised that this didn’t happen in Iraq several years sooner, given the competence of the persons in charge.