Iraq sniper attacks overestimated

[unhappycamper]

Iraq sniper attacks overestimated
By Tom Vanden Brook - USA Today
Posted : Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 6:36:57 EDT

The Pentagon, which has asked Congress for more than $1 billion in emergency spending to combat a growing threat of sniper attacks in Iraq, has overstated the scope and number of such attacks, its own records show.

In last week’s $1.4 billion request, the Pentagon said sniper attacks have quadrupled in the past year and, if unchecked, the attacks could eclipse roadside bombs as the top killer of U.S. troops. However, the rate of sniper attacks has dropped slightly in 2007 and fallen dramatically in the past four months, according to military records given to USA Today.

Pentagon officials acknowledged the mistake Monday after questions about the data were raised by USA Today.

“The term quadrupled will be removed from the justification because it is simply incorrect,” said Dave Patterson, deputy undersecretary of defense.

In 2006, there were 386 sniper attacks on coalition forces, according to data from the Multi-National Force-Iraq headquarters in Iraq. Through Oct. 26 of this year, there were 269 sniper attacks, the figures show. In the first six months of 2007, the military recorded 213 such attacks, compared with 92 during the same time period in 2006.

The Pentagon does not release the number of troops killed by snipers. Improvised explosive devices have killed about 1,600 U.S. troops, more than half of all combat deaths since the war began in 2003.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/gns_snipers_071030/



uhc comment: The Department of Death made a mistake? Color me surprised. :sarcasm: