The Briefing Room
General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: rangerrebew on November 19, 2017, 09:55:24 am
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The Islamic State Might Be Dying (but It Has Some of America's Best Weapons)
Task and Purpose [2]Jared Keller [3]
In 1991, the overwhelming success of night vision-equipped U.S. troops in the Gulf War inspired a brand new axiom of the modern American military: We own the night [4]. But new ISIS propaganda video, released following the expulsion of the terror group from their last de facto stronghold in Raqqa, has a clear message for Western forces: Not anymore.
The six-minute video, “Snipers of the South – Wilāyat al-Janūb” published to social media on Nov. 10 shows an ISIS sniper and spotter using “a U.S. M4 with an unknown scope” and a $5,000 FLIR BHM thermal camera originally designed “to help maritime vessels see debris, rocks, other boats and landmarks in pitch-black conditions,” Army Times reports [5]. Although U.S.-made military-grade night vision and thermal imaging gear are restricted [6] export items under the Department of State’s jurisdiction, it is quite possible the equipment was liberated [7] from Iraqi or U.S.-led coalition depots by ISIS militants in recent years — or simply purchased online [8] and smuggled into Iraq and Syria by foreign-born fighters.
Source URL (retrieved on November 19, 2017): http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-islamic-state-might-be-dying-it-has-some-americas-best-23244