Just an observation about guns in the Middle East

Last year, people lambasted Obama for issuing an executive order restricting the importation and re-importation of surplus military firearms.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/29/fact-sheet-new-executive-actions-reduce-gun-violence

Right-wing howlers said the action was stupid because it banned the re-importation of weapons that were only useful as collectors items or conversation pieces. Nobody would use an old weapon with a wood stock for actually shooting at people, right?

I thought of that today when I saw pictures of people in Iraq holding absolutely ancient-looking Kalashnikovs and other weapons with wood stocks.

http://america.aljazeera.com/content/ajam/articles/2014/6/18/iraq-crisis-analysis/jcr:content/image.adapt.400.high.jpg