Islamic State militants in Iraq who claim to belong to one of the group's elite fighting units released a video in which they train with matching American-manufactured M16 rifles.
The rifles shown in the video appear to be the A2 variant of the M16 rather than the improved A4 version now used by many U.S. troops, said Sim Tack, a military analyst who studies global conflicts, including those in Iraq and Syria, for the geopolitical intelligence firm Stratfor.
The rifles also feature iron sights and lack the advanced optics most modern forces use.
Navy Cmdr. Elissa Smith, a Defense Department spokeswoman, said Pentagon officials could not confirm the authenticity of the images. The U.S. is working with Iraqi troops and moderate Syrian opposition forces to prevent the group from gaining access to American-made weapons in the future, she said.
"However, it should come as no surprise to anyone that U.S. ammunition could have found its way to ISIL fighters given the amount of other U.S.-made equipment and weapons systems ISIL was able to capture during ongoing attacks in Iraq," Smith said, using another acronym for the terror group.
Tack said the appearance of the rifles is more menacing propaganda than indicative of tactical gains or notable developments in the conflict raging across Iraq and Syria.
“They are making an effort to project certain units in special uniforms as a little more professional,” he said. “I think part of that aesthetic they are trying to project is by selecting a specific weapon ... so they don’t look like a rag-tag bunch.”
It's not the first time the terror group has presented a uniformed look in a propaganda video. In February, IS militants wore matching digital desert camouflage uniforms similar to the pattern licensed to the U.S. Marine Corps called MARPAT, or "Marine Pattern."
At the time, analysts said digital pattern camouflage uniforms were widely available, and that the look was used in an effort to portray the group as one that was disciplined and well-funded.
That could be why IS fighters are using the black M16 in their video, which looks more expensive and in some ways more formidable than the wood-stocked AK-pattern rifles seen in the hands of third-world rebels across the globe, Tack said. But the rifles could actually prove a hindrance on the battlefield, he added, as it will likely prove difficult for the terror group to get additional 5.56mm ammunition they need for the M16s.
Seeing M16s in the hands of non-state actors is rare, except in areas where U.S. forces have deployed, Tack said. There was a surge of M16s used in Lebanon in the 1980s after Marines deployed to Beirut.
What's more concerning, he said, is that the terror group captured weapons from Syrian government forces they have used to take down aircraft. Light arms that can be used to destroy armored vehicles or aircraft could pose a significant threat to U.S. troops operating in the region — including those conducting air strikes against the group, he said.
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/09/02/isis-fighters-use-m16-rifles-new-recruiting-video/71601686/
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