US soldiers killed while training Iraqis

Article

BAGHDAD – Two U.S. troops were killed Saturday by an Iraqi soldier who apparently smuggled real bullets into a training exercise and opened fire, raising fresh concerns about insurgents worming into the nation's security forces as the Americans prepare to leave by the year's end.

A U.S. military official said the shooter was immediately killed by American soldiers who were running the morning drill at a training center on a U.S. base in the northern city of Mosul. The U.S. official said the exercise was not meant to involve live ammunition, and an Iraqi army officer said the shooting appeared to have been planned.

Additionally, another American soldier was killed Saturday during an unrelated military operation in central Iraq, making it one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces in the country in months. A U.S. military statement offered no details about that death.

I know this event is still pretty new and all the details are not out yet, but how could someone smuggle real bullets to a training excersise? Arent they supposed to have security checkpoints or something like that?

Ill try to keep an eye out and post the details about this incident when everything is figured out and reported.

reply to post by buni11687


Well you would think that they would have check points!
And they usually do, especially in this type of environment.
So who were his accomplices that let him in or gave him the ammo?
Could this be another CoIntl operation?
On the other hand, it could be that we are trying to build trust up, between us and them. By just waving them through as if they were friends. Big Mistake!

If the government is looking to justify not retracting it's forces when they said they would, this will atleast give them some 'reason' as to why they would go back on their promies.... Not saying they are responsible but if you see a U-turn in their policies of how long they are to stay here then you never know.

Perhaps they weren't smuggled in at all, just one of the guns was loaded with live ammo by accident? A soldier made a mistake and picked up the wrong gun? Or even worse a soldier loaded a clip with a few live rounds on purpose....

Originally posted by buni11687
I know this event is still pretty new and all the details are not out yet, but how could someone smuggle real bullets to a training excersise? Arent they supposed to have security checkpoints or something like that?

Smuggling in live rounds is easy.

The shooter was in the Iraqi Army; it wasn't like he snuck past some checkpoint to gain entry.

Originally posted by TKDRL
Perhaps they weren't smuggled in at all, just one of the guns was loaded with live ammo by accident? A soldier made a mistake and picked up the wrong gun? Or even worse a soldier loaded a clip with a few live rounds on purpose....

Not on an exercise like this. Loaded weapons wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the training area just for the reasons you gave; someone accidently picking up a weapon with live rounds.

The Iraqi had an agenda. He thought this out before the training exercise started.

At the slaughter house I worked at we killed cows with 22 rifle blanks.

Put it to the temple and the pressure will kill you.

Even blanks from a M-16 can kill people.

If they want to kill Americans....they can. Even with no real bullets, just training blanks.

reply to post by jerico65


Yeah but what I mean is, were the rifles and or clips preloaded, then brought there? Or were they loaded on the spot? If they were handing out preloaded clips or rifles, then maybe it was an accident. I have never seen the kind of ammo used in training, but I would have to assume it looks a lot different than a live round, how would someone not notice someone loading up live rounds into a clip in the training area?