The 5.56 is a weaker round then the 7.62. I remember reading that they had concluded that 8 men with 5.56mm could be more effective then 12 men with 7.62.
At the time, the logic was that wounding the enemy was a greater priority then killing them. Two wounded men would require 3-4 men to carry them. Therefore, wounding just two men would take an entire squad out of action. Wounding 8 men would take the entire platoon out of action.
In the Iraq situation, I can see why killing is more important then wounding. The rebel squads dont have the same ethics as a uniformed force. They wouldnt take the time to carrytheir wounded off the field. The wounded would be placed back among the ranks whether they were well, had one hand or not.
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