Comment: I'll have to take issue with your

and a few others comments with regards to snipers. First off you are operating on the assumption that no sniper has ever been killed while doing his job. That is clearly not true. Some of the most interesting stories I've read from Viet Nam were about snipers vs. sniper. Would you lump a pilot who drops bombs on or strafes the enemy as a "jackel" because he does so in the comfort of a jet capable of supersonic speed? What do you think of the guys who load the bombs and munitions on the jets while sitting in the safety of an aircraft carrier miles at sea? How about the guy's manning artillery that shoots six miles? A battleship with 21 inch guns capable of lobbing a shell the size of a Volkswagon 26 miles. Would you lump all who had duties as stated above as cowards or Jackals? And lastly what of the individuals who allow their tax dollars to finance such cowardly actions?
You guy's remind me of the British during the Revolutionary war. The Brits were aghast at how our snipers were targeting their high ranking officers and felt is was an affront upon the honor of warfare, these guys would, without a moments remorse or hesitation, send in their men to be shot and sliced to pieces while they were ensconced comfortably on some hillside safely viewing the carnage. Snipers changed that. Same thing in the Civil War, those boys from states like Kentucky could sit in a tree and shoot the wings off a fly at a hundred yards, much to the consternation of the Union Officers they were picking off. Snipers have a very positive and effective purpose which many don't seem to be able to grasp, the psychological effects upon the enemy inhibits it's ability to operate as efficiently as it might if it wasn't concerned about having it's head turn into a pink mist the next time it turns a corner.