Checkpoints Redux
Joyner finds an educational description of the common situation in the Christian Science Monitor:
You’re driving along and you see a couple of soldiers standing by the side of the road – but that’s a pretty ubiquitous sight in Baghdad, so you don’t think anything of it. Next thing you know, soldiers are screaming at you, pointing their rifles and swiveling tank guns in your direction, and you didn’t even know it was a checkpoint.
cf. Andrew’s description of checkpoint-setup training, referenced last night:
Because this threatens to lead to accidental killings like that involving Ms. Sgrena, we warn units to place signs well forward of the TCP telling drivers they are approaching a TCP and need to slow down and stop or they will be fired upon.
I completely believe Andrew that we train the way he says we train. It’s what comes after that is the question.
Comment by Jeremy Osner —
March 7, 2005 @ 7:02 pm
One thing that struck me reading about the killing of the Italian agent, was that they were driving in pitch black night-time when the electricity was out — that they did not see the soldiers until they were right at the check-point. The army says they flashed bright lights as the car approached the check point, Ms Sgrena however says they did not see any lights.
Trackback by Outside The Beltway —
March 7, 2005 @ 7:11 pm
Understanding Iraq’s Checkpoints
What Iraq’s checkpoints are like (Annia Ciezadlo, CSM)
Editor’s note: On Friday, an Italian intelligence officer was killed and Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was wounded as their car approached a US military checkpoint in Baghdad. The US say…
Comment by Hesiod —
March 8, 2005 @ 3:45 am
Some facts here:
1. The WaPo account, quoting US, says that the checkpoint was set up in the middle of the nght, and was an IMPROMPTU response to being notified that an important diplmatic personage or vehicle was heading to the Baghdad airport at some point.
2. That road is very danmgerous, and the site of numerous roadside bombings AND hijackings.
3. The French had just left a bunch of insurgents, who released the reporter for cash. Understandibly they wanted to “get out of Dodge” as soon as possible.
4. So, you are the French intelliegnce officers who just picked up a former hostage. You are driving on one of the most dangerous roads in Iraq, at night. You are driving fast (like everyone else does on that road). You see some lights flashing at you on a stretch of road where you don’t exp[ect a US checkpoint. Youy know that insurgents have been posing as Iraqi National guard troops. You wonder whether the insurgents have renegged. Or, wheher you are aout to get hijacked again.
What would you do?