US troops get training to avoid friendly-fire attacks on British

[True_Blue]

AMERICAN soldiers in Iraq are being given “anti-fratricide” training to reduce the number of friendly fire attacks against British and other coalition troops, The Times has learnt.

Thirty-two “blue-on-blue” attacks on British and other coalition vehicles have been logged in the past twelve months in southern Iraq, Britain’s area of responsibility.

The training was revealed as Washington and Rome announced a joint inquiry into the killing last week of an Italian secret agent when US troops opened fire on the car in which he was accompanying a freed hostage to Baghdad airport.

The inquiry was announced by General George Casey, commander of multinational forces in Iraq, after Gianfranco Fini, the Italian Foreign Minister, had highlighted differences between the American and Italian versions of the incident.

more....
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1517327,00.html

[LynnTheDem]

1. I'm sure the dead Brits would have appreciated that being done sooner.

Did the US M$M ever report on the US bombing and killing the US marines during the Iraq invasion?

No one seems to do as much blue on blue as the US of A for some reason.

[uppityperson]

2. It's about time, though I thought the war was over.

Another thing to put on the list before the next invasion, teach your army who to not shoot and how to not over react to threats. Alright, I can hear the flames coming but hold on. I know that they are kids and are doing the best they can do, but their training has not been enough is my point and I'll be glad if they actually do this.

[librarycard]

3. What about "lighting up" unarmed Iraqi citizens?

[LynnTheDem]

4. A not uncommon thing, unfortunately. Too many of our troops in Iraq are

weekend warriors who simply are not trained and are not qualified to be there.

But, and I say this as the longtime wife of a 20-year army officer, the military leadership in Iraq is not there. It's incompetent. It's ignorant. It's unqualified. It's a total FUBAR.

Actually the troops themselves said this in a fairly recent Army Times survey. They are correct.

The military leadership in Iraq is a shambles and a disgrace and we have far too many unqualified and untrained soldiers under them. And none of them were trained in this type of urban guerilla warfare. As we've seen, (and compare to the Brits who are trained in urban warfare) that shows very clearly.

As does the bane of the world; American arrogance & ignorance.

[hatrack]

5. But Bulgarians and Italians, that's OK - no special training needed

:eyes: