First, that there is fire discipline, that people are shooting at defined targets. Unlike some nation's militaries, when an American unit perceives itself under attack it lights up the entire area. Everywhere. We've all seen videos of entire clips fired blindly over a wall. The idea is that if anyone is going home it's gonna be me. Not a bad thought, except that it can be detrimental to the mission, IF the mission is hearts and minds.

Or, they shoot at a building. If you are paying your water bill, which you have to do in person because the mail service doesn't work, along with power, something lacking in Baghdad, and a sniper fires from the roof, Americans will shoot up the entire area. And call in air support.

Now the VERY BEST which can happen with a bomb is that it will hit the building and destroy it and everyone in it. Or get a helicopter gunship, which stands off and fires rockets and/or machine guns. Again, the best that can happen is that it will hit the building. Either way, it will kill a helluva lot of people who didn't know about the attack, who were minding their own business and don't know which way to run.

And in the real fight, that for hearts and minds, the US forces will have fallen into a trap. They've lost. As I said, you will excuse, tell the innocent people that they should not have been born Iraqi, that they shouldn't live in their home town, that they should love Americans and be glad they died, with "God Bless Bush" on their lips. You will forgive everyone and forget the incident, and then wonder why there are 5 snipers the next time when America has been so good and kind to them.

Your mistake is in thinking you know how a firefight is conducted.

Other countries often are not so wild, as they don't have the ammunition and supplies. They are more careful, if not for innocent lives but to conserve.

The Brits, who along with the Australians and Canadians have lectured the US on being cowboys and unnecessarily killing innocent people, are more careful because they have colonized long enough to realize one wants and needs the good will of the people.

Bush, and American Conservatives, don't give a rat's ass. Progress is measured by killing Iraqis. That's what Bush means when he talks about "progress".

Arf