“Elusive sniper saps US morale in Baghdad”

[jody]

Elusive sniper saps US morale in Baghdad
QUOTE
There is never a follow-up shot, never a chance for US forces to identify the origin, to make the hunter the hunted. He fires once and vanishes.

Juba is the nickname given by American forces to an insurgent sniper operating in southern Baghdad. They do not know his appearance, nationality or real name, but they know and fear his skill.
* * * * * * * * * * *
In a war marked by sectarian bombings and civilian casualties, Juba is unusual in targeting only coalition troops, a difficult quarry protected by armoured vehicles, body armour and helmets.

He waits for soldiers to dismount, or stand up in a Humvee turret, and aims for gaps in their body armour, the lower spine, ribs or above the chest. He has killed from 200 metres away.
UNQUOTE

If one sniper with a rifle capable of shooting accurately at 200 meters can have such an impact, think of the offensive capability he would have if he could afford a .50 caliber sniper rifle with its 2,000 meter range, see "The Threat of .50 Caliber Armor-Piecing Sniper Rifles" and "M107 .50 Caliber Special Application Scoped Rifle".

[kiki]

1. Not to worry...

...I'm sure one of the US or UK's upstanding and morally unquestionable arms companies will sell him one of those new-fangled rifles soon.

[thebigidea]

2. and "he" is probably hundreds of people

and when we kill them, thousands more will take their place.

how fucking pathetic, to pretend all snipe shots in the area are the product of one guy - considering they are surrounded by millions of people who hate them on all four sides.

next thing you know, they'll be whining about "campers" like it was some fucking video game.

[H5N1]

3. That sounds more likely to me

[lockdown]

4. I read a very similar story a year or so ago,

about an infamous, brilliant and feared sniper who was operating in Baghdad. The main difference was that mythical sounding sniper was a child of 14 (if I remember right). As you suggest, it seems ridiculous to portary it all as the work of one exceptional enemy.

[wli]

5. probably 10000 snipers