Chalk61, here are the facts, not as you would like them to be.
"I've heard plenty of U.S. soldiers complain about the M-16, espically Vietnam Vets at all stages of the war"
In Early vietnam the AR-15 was issued to the south Vietnamese who loved it, the M-14 was eventually replaced (it was only in service for around 12 or so years, inferior for combat, and proven so). The very first AR-15 issued to some soldiers developed problems when muddy, dirty, wet, and caked in carbon. The truth is that the US soldiers who actually had problems were never taught to maintain them, in fact they thought that the rifle never had to be oiled. The truth is that combat soldiers (infantry, SF, artillary, tankers, etc) who were taught to maintain the M-16 loved it, and to this day over 40 years later it still out performs any combat rifle available in a variety of categories, and will do so for a long time.
I have never met another combat vet (combat MOS soldiers only, you know, those who actually do the fighting, not clerks or cooks) who was ever disappointed in the M-16 or the M-4. Why is it that the countries which have had the AK want the M-16, and the M-4, over the AK, and have wanted them for many years. Again why did the Israelis use the M-4 and until it is faized out entirily it is still in use there, why do the SAS in Brittain, and the Aussie SAS use the M-4 over their own countries rifles? Simple, performance, performance, performance....
"Also the Military channel says it is the AK that has killed more people in the world, not the M-16"
Round for round fired the M-16 and its family of rifles has killed more enemy combatants than any other rifle in the world intentionally, this says alot for a rifle being held up against a cheap Russian/Chinese rifle that can be literally found under almost every rock, in every crevice, from China to Hawaii, from the arctic circle to the south pole, and has been made by the billions. The AK has killed more people worldwide (not intentionally done by soldiers), but then again every war zone has proven the fact that if you deploy alot of landmines alot of people die or are injured. When the parts dry up, when the ammo becomes scarce, the AKs will eventually be just remembered in history. If the Soviet Union made 800,000,000 M-16s and gave them for free to any country during the cold war that said that they didnt like the US the M-16 would be a legend until the end of time. If the Chinese picked up production of the M-16 afterwards and sold another 3,000,000,000 worldwide the rifle would still be in use in both armies and there would be an M-16 hidden on almost every square mile of land on the planet like the AK today. Its all about the ability for an AK to be produced for $15 each and sold for a bit more to make them go far around the world.
"many in Special Forces are now using a 6.8 update of the M-16, an loving it alot better than the 5.56"
Where do you get this information? Most special forces are using their own budgets to buy H&K 416s by choice in 5.56x45mm nothing in 6.8.
From your own words. Reference the purchase requests submitted by these units, and articles by military publications
....JUST THE FACTS PLEASE......