# Incompetent American troops in Iraq **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 16, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767 "2007-08-16T01:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/1 "2007-08-16T01:53:57Z")
[They’re just throwing bullets around](http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070814/photos_wl_afp/9b642ce03da0ca6ebe1cf275387d552c)! Wouldn’t it work better if they shot them out of their rifles? I also wonder what bearing a terrorist attack in a section of the country that we’re not even fighting in has to this woman’s story. No real point here, just a real WTF moment reading that caption on that picture. Of course, it’s an AFP story, maybe the stereotypes are true and the French don’t even know what a fired bullet looks like. 😛 I found this to be an amusing example of poor reporting, but I’m putting it in the Pit because it’s about Iraq and inevitably some people will want to vent. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/2 "2007-08-16T01:59:44Z")
Nah, those are the bullets, really. They’re matryoshka rounds, real futureweapons shit. See, they’re these really big shells that fire fully functional rounds so we can police the villes and get all our ammo back… Nah, I got nuthin’. . ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/3 "2007-08-16T02:00:17Z")
That’s freakin’ hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/4 "2007-08-16T05:52:57Z")
[QUOTE=Weirddave] I found this to be an amusing example of poor reporting, but I’m putting it in the Pit because it’s about Iraq and inevitably some people will want to vent. [/QUOTE] How is it poor reporting? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/5 "2007-08-16T05:56:40Z")
Its pretty weird. If its anti-American propaganda, why are they bothering with making stuff up? And if its reporting, damn, is it dumb! ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/6 "2007-08-16T05:58:20Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] How is it poor reporting? [/QUOTE] The caption appears to take the woman’s story at face value. Others are pointing out that the two rounds (NOT bullets) the women is holding have never been fired from a rifle. The only way those rounds (casing and all) could have struck her house is if somebody threw them at her house by hand. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/7 "2007-08-16T06:13:23Z")
When you were a kid, and lost a marble, didn’t you ever toss another one to see where the first one went? Our investigators are just looking for [lost arms](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=431765). ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/8 "2007-08-16T06:13:40Z")
Rumors that the soldiers resorted to shouting “BANG! BANG! BANG!” as they threw the bullets are totally unfounded. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/9 "2007-08-16T06:40:43Z")
If they threw the rounds, then the grenades must be… ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/10 "2007-08-16T06:45:41Z")
[QUOTE=robby] The caption appears to take the woman’s story at face value. Others are pointing out that the two rounds (NOT bullets) the women is holding have never been fired from a rifle. The only way those rounds (casing and all) could have struck her house is if somebody threw them at her house by hand. [/QUOTE] It’s a caption, not investigative reporting. All it does is quote what the person said and let the readers reach their own conclusion. [QUOTE=elucidator] Its pretty weird. If its anti-American propaganda, why are they bothering with making stuff up? And if its reporting, damn, is it dumb! [/QUOTE] I know it’s wrong to generalize, but from my experience with Arab culture, I’ve noticed they often have a tendency to… overstate their case; to take an actual grievence and embellish it until it is no longer believeable. For instance, I remember a case several years ago where a Palestinian was telling about being arrested by the Israeli security forces. Apparently, he told how Shin Bet interrogators beat him bloody - which is a crime, and should be reported. However, he then went on to say how the agents knelt down and _lapped up his blood_. This is an obvious lie, and pretty damn absurd, too; by saying it, he undermined his entire case. It’s the same thing with the old Iraqi qoman. U.S. troop probably did shoot at, or near her house, and she probably found those bullets (which had dropped out of some G.I’s web gear) on the ground outside. As far as she’s concerned, she was just embellishing the story, but to us, it looks like a lie. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/11 "2007-08-16T07:51:46Z")
Or she told her story and some idiot photographer thought a photo of just some woman was not very illustrative and so he got some rounds off his bodyguard and gave them to her to hold so the photo would be more dramatic. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/12 "2007-08-16T09:02:33Z")
You guys laugh now. But next week they’re going to drop off a gun and leave instructions telling any insurgents who find them to shoot themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/13 "2007-08-16T09:19:11Z")
Back in the Nam … (No, I wasn’t here, how old do you think I am?) … the US used to spread AK rounds on battlefield certain the thrifty enemy would police them up. They were designed to explode in the chamber. Even better, circulars told US troops not to use captured AKs as they were poor-quality. This was to protect the Americans and to make the Bad Guys a little gun shy. Is that related to this? I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/14 "2007-08-16T10:04:21Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Back in the Nam … (No, I wasn’t here, how old do you think I am?) … the US used to spread AK rounds on battlefield certain the thrifty enemy would police them up. They were designed to explode in the chamber. Even better, circulars told US troops not to use captured AKs as they were poor-quality. This was to protect the Americans and to make the Bad Guys a little gun shy. Is that related to this? I dunno. [/QUOTE] Except that those are 5.56mm rounds. Not many insurgents carry M-16s. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/15 "2007-08-16T10:47:53Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] It’s a caption, not investigative reporting. All it does is quote what the person said and let the readers reach their own conclusion. [/quote] Except that there are whacky people who approach the meda every day, and they have to filter on a daily basis. If the photographer doesn’t filter it, the editor does. > [@](#): > > . . but to us, it looks like a lie. Well, that part is right. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/16 "2007-08-16T12:36:05Z")
I’m getting a page not found error. Did Yahoo take it down? What was it? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/17 "2007-08-16T12:41:48Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] What was it? [/QUOTE] Here’s the same shot at [American Thinker](http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/08/when_dullards_run_enemy_propag.html); top photo. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/18 "2007-08-16T14:22:56Z")
What’s the difference between a round and a bullet? See, I’m that ignorant, but I cracked up when I looked at the pic. Even I know that bullets (rounds?) look different after they’re fired. The casing part is ejected from the gun to the side, right? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/19 "2007-08-16T14:30:16Z")
[QUOTE=Princhester] Or she told her story and some idiot photographer thought a photo of just some woman was not very illustrative and so he got some rounds off his bodyguard and gave them to her to hold so the photo would be more dramatic. [/QUOTE] Exactly. Or maybe some soldier was walking by at some point, there was some scuffle, and something happened that resulted in him dropping a few bullets (I’m not even sure if this is possible- as I don’t know how they store extra rounds and stuff). I seriously doubt any American forces threw the bullets at her house. I know some idiots in the military, but none of them are quite that dumb. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767/20 "2007-08-16T14:34:36Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] I’m getting a page not found error. Did Yahoo take it down? What was it? [/QUOTE] Looks like Yahoo pulled it. **Squink** ’s link gives enough info. I case you have trouble with it, it shows a woman who appears to be dressed in common muslim attire, holding two unspent bullet cartridges in her hand. The caption says that the woman claims the bullets hit her house. Since they unfired the bullets must have been thrown at her house. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incompetent-american-troops-in-iraq/415767.md?page=2)