A New Terrorist Tactic?

Terrorists (insurgents, radicals, extremists, resistance fighters, "freedom" fighters....pick a label) know that life is cheap. They also know that westerners consider life to be the purpose of ..... well, of living.

With explosives becoming less plentiful, it seems that the terrorists in Iraq have found a new way to further their goals without all the risks and expense of rigging a car with bombs......just make the Americans think they're being attacked by a car bomber. All that's needed is an old taxi (preferably with a couple of female passengers, just for effect) driven at high speed toward a coalition convoy, ignoring any warning shots or signals to stay clear.

The result is a car carrying "innocent civilians" shot to pieces by trigger-happy military or civilian security personnel. Western news media outlets are fed pictures and "eye-witness" accounts of the incident which they are more than willing to publish without question (the press will jump on anything that helps to undermine President Bush and the U.S. effort in Iraq).

It also tends to undo any goodwill developed between the American military and the Iraqi populace and turns world opinion against the U.S.

This type of negative PR campaign may be more damaging to the Americans than real car bombs could ever be.