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In the midst of a court-martial of several US Army troopers for murdering Iraqi civilians, word has crept out of a secret program used by a select sniper unit in the 25th Infantry Division.

SSG Michael Hensley, SGT Evan Vela, and SPC Jorge Sandoval are on trial for shooting Iraqis, apparently under cover of an unspecified and classified program originally developed at the Pentagon’s Asymmetric Warfare Group, designed to raise the number of kills of the resistance in Iraq.

A Pentagon group has encouraged some U.S. military snipers in Iraq to target suspected insurgents by scattering pieces of "bait," such as detonation cords, plastic explosives and ammunition, and then killing Iraqis who pick up the items, according to military court documents.

The classified program was described in investigative documents related to recently filed murder charges against three snipers who are accused of planting evidence on Iraqis they killed.

"Baiting is putting an object out there that we know they will use, with the intention of destroying the enemy," Capt. Matthew P. Didier, the leader of an elite sniper scout platoon attached to the 1st Battalion of the 501st Infantry Regiment, said in a sworn statement. "Basically, we would put an item out there and watch it. If someone found the item, picked it up and attempted to leave with the item, we would engage the individual as I saw this as a sign they would use the item against U.S. Forces."

I’ll just bet this idea was dreamed up by some guy after watching a police drama in which a cop used a “drop gun” after a bad shooting.

Representatives of the Asymmetric Warfare Group visited CPT Didier’s unit in January and supplied them with items to be used in the drop program. Such items would typically be weapons or weapons parts such as magazines, ammunition or other useful items like wire, and detonator cord.

The snipers would set up and observe these items and then “prosecute” anyone who picked up the bait.

News of the program surfaced when it was mentioned in unclassified documents written by investigative services, and when these documents were discussed in the courts-martial of the soldiers, who are charged with murder, and, after the murder, placing incriminating items on the bodies in order to justify the killings.

"We don't discuss specific methods targeting enemy combatants," said Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman. "The accused are charged with murder and wrongfully placing weapons on the remains of Iraqi nationals. There are no classified programs that authorize the murder of local nationals and the use of 'drop weapons' to make killings appear legally justified."

While it might appear logical at first glance to think anyone picking up a weapon or ammunition might be part of the resistance, it should be remembered that during the Saddam era the country was the best-armed nation in the world. It seems every household had at least one AK-47, and ammunition for it. Under those conditions would you pass up the chance to snag up another loaded magazine?

Neither would I.

Key quote:

Members of the sniper platoon have said they felt pressure from commanders to kill more insurgents because U.S. units in the area had taken heavy losses. The sniper unit -- dubbed "the painted demons" because of the use of tiger-stripe face paint -- often went on missions into hostile areas to intercept insurgents going to and from hidden weapons caches. [emph added

The famous and historic American “Get some” reflex.