Cole

As a former Law Enforcement Officer, Ret. Special Forces Soldier (Green Beret) and Sniper, I feel confident in saying I know the effects of 5.56 NATO (M855). Conclusion: The NYT lied or failed to verify the information presented to them. This is based on the MV and BC of the M855 Ball ammo currently being used by the IDF. (nytimes.com/interactive/2024…) | Analysis | Dr. Mimi stated she worked in Khan Younis from Aug. 8 to Sept. 5. The IDF announced on Aug 9th, 2024 they were beginning another ground operation in Khan Younis. Major combat operations by the IDF were completed on Aug 30th. This means Dr. Mimi was on the ground in Khan Younis for the entire operation according to her claim. Dr. Mimi Syed provided these pictures to the NYT and stated: “I had multiple pediatric patients, mostly under the age of 12, who were shot in the head or the left side of the chest. Usually, these were single shots. The patients came in either dead or critical, and died shortly after arriving.” There are two issues with her accusations provided in the photo's and statements. 1- Accuracy 2- Velocity and Penetration | Ballistics Of The M855 Fired From A 14" Barrel (M4) | Muzzle Velocity: 2,841 ft/s Ballistic Coefficient: 0.151 (G7 Drag Scale) Accuracy: About 4 Minutes Of Angle (MOA) Even at sea level with high humidity, the M855 fired from an M4 will remain supersonic beyond 500 meters. The M855 Green Tip ammo is designed to penetrate body armor and defeat barricades/cover. However, this comes at a cost in accuracy. An M4 shooting the M855 round has an average accuracy of around 4 Minutes Of Angle. That is roughly a 4-inch shot group at 100 yards. At 200 yards, the shot group expands to 8 inches. At 300 yards, it increases to 12 inches. The average diameter of the adult male head is about 8 inches. The size of a child's head will vary based on age. Hitting a 4-inch to 8-inch target at greater than 100 meters with an M4 is a challenge on the range with stationary targets. In combat conditions with moving targets, it would be almost impossible. The M855 travels too fast at that range and is designed to penetrate. It would easily, without question, pass completely through a child's skull at those ranges. This leads to the next question. Were the x-ray images the result of ricochets? Well, no. When projectiles traveling that fast strike another object, they tend to deform and tumble. We would see that represented in the x-rays. We do not. Further, over 190,000 IDP's fled Khan Younis prior to the start of their combat operations on Aug 9th (see below) | HISTORY OF KHAN YOUNIS | According to Doctors Without Borders: "On July 22 and 27, the Israeli forces issued two evacuation orders in Khan Younis" "According to OCHA, from July 22 to 25, approximately 190,000 Palestinians were displaced in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah." In 2017, Khan Younis population was above 205,000. It is more than fair to say the VAST MAJORITY of the population left following the warnings from the IDF. Khan Younis is Gaza's second-largest city and where the Nassar Hospital is located (likely where she worked). Following an IDF withdrawal from Khan Younis in April 2024, Nassar Hospital staff claimed the IDF had murdered Palestinians and buried them in mass graves outside of the hospital. This false claim was easily debunked. Even the NYT reported that 2 mass graves were on the grounds of the hospital prior to the operation. Other articles can be found as early as Jan 2024 quoting the hospital manager claiming hospital staff buried 100's of deceased patients on the grounds of the hospital. nytimes.com/2024/04/25/world…