Via BBC, hence the scare quotes
About 20 Iraqi looters have been killed by an explosion at a munitions depot in central Iraq, a spokesman for the multi-national force there has said. The blast occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday about 180 kilometres south-west of Karbala. "Attackers entered the bunker and the bunker exploded, we estimate about 20 people were killed," Lieutenant Colonel Robert Strzelecki said.
"Cheeze! It's dark in here, Mahmoud!"
"Here. Lemme strike a match..." |
Polish soldiers were guarding the dump, where heavy munitions such as rockets and artillery shells from Saddam Hussein’s army were stored. "I suspect that those people who entered the bunkers probably wanted to steal the munitions" to sell, perhaps to "terrorist groups", Lt Col Strzelecki said.
| So they could use them to "kill people." |
He said he thought the blast was caused by "human negligence", the Associated Press reported. The dump covers a large area, making it difficult to secure, the officer said. The infiltrators had been detected by radar, he added, but guards were unable to get to them before the explosion.
On the one hand, the looters have earned a Mention of Merit in the Darwin Awards. On the other hand, I would like to see the Iraqi economy functioning better so that looting for $$ isn’t as attractive. Assuming these were looters and not insurgents doing their own midnight requisitioning .... |