I started my answer a bit back, then the web site or the computer hiccuped so by the time i had it ready again there were two more comments posted. So starting with the latest and working my way back:

I think someone remarked earlier on that the car was hit with a spray of bullets from a tank machine gun. Them is not meant for accuracy. The soldiers' story that has been extant is that they were firing at the motor to stop the vehicle. But with the power of those guns and a spray of bullets, the occupants are subjected not merely to bullets but to the shrapnel effect of bits of sheet metal and engine block torn shredded and flying. Apparently it's a miracle that anyone in that car survived.



Drawing back a bit from the immediacy of this particular event, one would like to believe that after initial confusion someone comes up with and regularizes a procedure to control access on these roads. I'd like to believe that a conference would be held between the yanks, the brits, the poles, anyone else doing this kind of work, and the best ideas utilized so that anyone but especially innocent, possibly frightened and illiterate Iraqis would be able to pull in to these sites without feeling they were making alife and death attempt.


Unfortunately as soon as that is done, the opposition finds a way to use it to blow someone up. I heard stories (on the AM radio so who knows, right?) that some innocent appearing Iraqi families were used as bomb carriers by going in under a terrorist's gun or with relatives held hostage.

Part of the apparent lack of statistics might be that our guys don't want their guys to know what has worked the best.