This is an interesting article from the Washington Post:
U.S. Aims to Lure Insurgents with 'Bait'
To put this latest bit of stupidity in a nice, neat nutshell, all you need is to read the leading paragraph:
A Pentagon group has encouraged some U.S. military snipers in Iraq to target suspected insurgents by scattering pieces of "bait," such as detonation cords, plastic explosives and ammunition, and then killing Iraqis who pick up the items, according to military court documents.
Boxes filled with goodies - wires, etc. - were passed out to small sniper units who were encouraged to scatter them around in order to spot and "lay down" (to use one commander's almost whimsical phrasing) anyone who picked them. The idea was that if an Iraqi picked up the spool of wire of the piece of detonation cord, they were automatically presumed to be an insurgent, and therefore a target.
Several snipers are in trouble for this, because after killing Iraqis they allegedly planted the bait on them in an effort to justify their actions.
All together now: "Oy."
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