20Aug06

In Baghdad today, "snipers," firing from houses and a cemete ry, murdered several dozen Shiite religious pilgrims who were marching in a procession.

Simultaneously, over two hundred were wounded. An omnibus ban on driving h ad been imposed by the government in order to limit car-bombings, and this was an apparent work-around cooked up by sectarian outlaws

Of course, the ignorant and frightened media refers to anyone with a rifle as a "sniper." These shooters were not =80=9Csnipers. " They were just garden-variety thugs, with Kalashnikov rifles, using stock, iron sights, sh ooting stationary, standing people at ranges from twenty to 150 meters. Easy shot s, even for amateurs! In fact, we know they're amateurs, because of the small KIA to WIA ratio.

This incident garnered only anaemic media interest, but it concerns me, because, unlike bombings, the foregoing is a highly destructive tactic that can be easily exported nearly anywhere in the world. It may lack a big boom, b ut this kind of loosely organized mayhem can manufacture a high number of casualties in a short time, with little sophisticated planning, and only sca nt preparation. It would "work" spectacularly well in nearly a ny metro area in the world.

Local police, unless themselves routinely armed with rifles and well traine d in their use, could do little- before, during, or after.

We better be ready!

/John