is the AR-15 an Assault weapon?

In response to complaints about calling the AR-15 an assault weapon.

FYI:

The Armalite-15 is a weapon made to military specification, chambered to fire military NATO rounds, and is the direct predecessor of the Armalite M-16.
The M-16 is a military assault weapon that is almost identical to the AR-15. As a matter of fact, the military liked the AR-15 so much that they asked Armalite to make a military version for... wait for it... here it comes... Military Assault use.
The AR-15 is the M-16's almost identical pappy. 

So call the AR-15 the 

• Anal Reamer 15
• Astute Rationalizer 15
• Aristotle's Revenge 15
• Amadeus's Reward 15

BUT:
It will always be the prototype for the M-16 that got us through most of the Vietnam war.

History of the M-16