Weapon Mounted Light

Flood of US weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan fueling militant groups ...

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Some of the U.S. weapons bound for U.S. and Afghan troops in Afghanistan are being stolen, landing instead in the hands of those they are meant to be used against, and fueling militant groups in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, Pakistani officials say.

These weapons — which are typically snatched from Afghan troops during raids or sold by them to the Pakistani Taliban after they defect, are easily available in black markets in Pakistan's tribal regions.

Some weapons, along with other military-issue supplies, are also being seized by Taliban militants in attacks on NATO convoys passing through Pakistan on their way to resuply soldiers in Afghanistan. Although such raids have been taking place for years , the Pakistani Taliban appear to have widened the zone where they are willing to operate, attacking NATO trucks in major cities as well, including in the capital of Islamabad as recently as June 9 .

An estimated one-third of the supplies bound for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan travel by land from Pakistan's port city of Karachi. Pakistani intelligence officials said that, in many cases, the drivers moving the NATO containers are working with the Pakistani Taliban, which torches the containers after seizing the loaded goods.

Major General Ather Abbas, a spokesman for the Pakistan army, told GlobalPost that the U.S. weapons are being used by the Taliban against Pakistani forces in various tribal areas, including Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber agencies, where militants have mounted a strong resistance to ongoing military operations.

The United States and Pakistan often trade accusations that one or the other is aiding militants. The United States has accused elements of Pakistan's spy agency and military of supporting and patronizing the Haqqani Network and other militant groups involved in attacks on allied troops across the border. This suspicion was at least partly confirmed on Tuesday with the arrest of Brigadier Ali Khan, a senior Pakistani army official who is accused of maintaining illicit relations with banned organizations.

Pakistan, meanwhile, says the United States is fueling the same militants by flooding the region with weapons that fall into the wrong hands, as well as with the money the United States has reportedly provided to some militants for safe passage of NATO supply convoys.

“The (Pakistani) Taliban are equipped with sophisticated U.S.-made weapons, which they either procure from deserted Afghan soldiers or snatch from Afghan and U.S. troops in ambushes, and ultimately use against our forces,” Abbas said.

Do you use a Weapon-Mounted Light as your primary light ...

A Weapon Mounted Light (WML) has it's place, but IMO, it's not a substitute for a hand-held light. For me, after careful consideration, I decided that I have no immediate need for a WML at the present time. I've done a little training with a WML and a bit more with a standard hand held light and I am confident that a hand held light will more than satisfy the vast majority of my tactical requirements on it's own given my current lifestyle, living situation, and defensive mindset I prefer to operate with during my daily affairs. Could a situation arise that I find myself wishing I had a WML? Well, it certainly could, but a situation could also arise where I find myself wishing I was carrying a carbine or shotgun rather than a fighting pistol. I am comfortable with trying to equip and train myself for situations that are the most probable and the most plausible first and foremost, and then leave the "fun" and "fantasy" gadgets and training for sometime down the road when time and money are less of a constraint or if/when lifestyle changes dictate that they are needed.

These comments are not to say that there's no place for weapon-mounted lights, which at least allow you a stable grip on the weapon, but my personal approach is to use the handheld light.

I view a mounted light as more appropriate for longarms, when both hands are used. I carry a flashlight with me, and I like that I can pull it out and use it without muzzling everyone in the vacinity. When I carry defensive, I'm already avoiding lowlight settings by modifying my behaviour. If I need my defensive gun at home, the light is beside it at bedside.

I use a WML on my pistol, especially my home defense oriented one, but I strongly feel a separate hand-held should be primary.

There are plausible scenarios/situations where the WML would be the best choice, but I think most situations will require the flexiblity of a hand-held light, not to mention the safety factor of not covering a non-shoot target with the barrel of the gun.

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