Many Iraqi Soldiers Wounded by Own Guns

[sabra]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3767365.html

Many Iraqi Soldiers Wounded by Own Guns

BIDIMNAH, Iraq — The two bloodied, wincing Iraqi soldiers _ bandages wrapped around their legs _ hobbled onto the waiting ambulance, wounded during a house-to-house search near this farming town.

The culprit was a common one: not insurgents, but gunfire from fellow soldiers. U.S. trainers who mentor Iraqi troops say a lack of gun safety, or what they call "muzzle discipline," has led to many injuries and deaths across the country.

And while the Americans say it is slowly getting better, it remains a major problem for a U.S. military trying to train more than 200,000 Iraqis to defeat the insurgency.

"When we first got here, it was a little scary," said Army Capt. Steven Fischer, a trainer from Washington, Pa. "We have to correct it. It's something that's got to be better."

[mdmc]

1. never ending problems

awful

[benburch]

2. Vietnamization working out as expected.

The next 3000 American deaths will happen in the next 8 months...

[BOSSHOG]

3. Per your headline, is that good or bad news for "conservatives?"

You know we have to self censor so we don't offend lurkers. Bottom line injured ragheads, so its gotta be good news. Praise the Lord!

[Dhalgren]

4. But wait! Iraqis shooting each other is thought to be "bad news",

but because they were "good Iraqis" and it was just accidental, then it might be "good news". But then it means more Iraqi troops who can't "stand up" (so that "we can stand down") so it may be "bad news". But then our "trainers" are on top of it, so it might be "good news", but...oh fuck it...

[BOSSHOG]

5. Thanks very much for the clarification

You won't believe this but many Americans are too proud to admit they were wrong and have absofuckinglutely no idea of what you just posted. They are called "conservatives" and they are part of bush's blind base.

[Dhalgren]

6. It really does make you pucker when the talking heads and

government spokespersons try and make the news coverage about "good" vs. "bad". What about the truth? What about what's actually happening? This administration has reduced the whole process to spin and only spin - it is all that the news even means to them any more...