Catch-22 and Checkpoint Protocol In Iraq

Recent headlines have told the sad story of Italian journalist, Giuliana Sgrena's, abduction, release and subsequent wounding by American troops on her way to the Baghdad airport.

Although Ms. Sgrena has described her experience in a number of different versions (here's one on CNN), even some Italian publications have found it difficult to embrace her accounts at face value.

Until the U.S. military completes its investigation we can only wait and hope that the truth will win out in the end. Until then, Hugh Hewitt suggests we turn to Austin Bay for updates on this story as it continues to unfold.

John Burns, an imbedded journalist writing for the New York Times in Iraq, has written an article that points out the difficulty Iraqis have in knowing what to do when they approach a checkpoint manned by American troops in their car. It seems that the American military has a protocol that they follow but they cannot tell the Iraqis (and others who drive cars) what the protocol is (because of security reasons).

Before you read John Burn's article, however, read my summary. After reading this then judge whether it is accurate or not: "If you approach an American checkpoint in your car you must carefully follow proper protocol. If you do not you may be shot. Even though we cannot tell you what that protocol is, you can be assured that our troops are well trained and instructed to follow the protocol carefully. If, for some reason, you are shot while approaching a checkpoint our military representative will be happy to explain to you (or to your surviving loved one) what it was that you did wrong. Because every situation is unique, the error you make at one checkpoint may or may not be considered to be an error at other checkpoints or even at the same checkpoint at some other time. But be assured that the protocol exists and is strictly enforced for your own safety, as well as that of our American soldiers."

The actual text of John Burn's article reads as follows:

But any Westerner working in Iraq comes across numerous accounts of apparently innocent deaths and injuries among drivers and passengers who drew American fire, often in circumstances that have left the Iraqis puzzled as to what, if anything, they did wrong.

The confusion arises, in most cases, from a clash of perspectives. The American soldiers know that circumstances erupt in which a second's hesitation can mean death, and say civilian deaths are a regrettable but inevitable consequence of a war in which suicide bombers have been the insurgents' most deadly weapon. But Iraqis say they have no clear idea of American engagement rules, and accuse the American command of failing to disseminate the rules to the public, in newspapers or on radio and television stations.

The military says it takes many precautions to ensure the safety of civilians. But a military spokesman in Baghdad declined in a telephone interview on Sunday to describe the engagement rules in detail, saying the military needed to maintain secrecy over how it responds to the threat of car bombs.

Well, that clears everything up for me....I think....But I wonder if the driver of Ms. Sgrena's car understood the protocol...especially in the dark when those hand signals to slow down cannot be seen and the source of the flash of gunfire is unidentifiable. ("Oh, someone's shooting at my car in the dark. I think I will stop, open my door and get out. How nice of the Americans to warn me that there is a checkpoint just ahead. Of course it's the Americans! Who else would be shooting at my car!)"