Very good point. and that is coming from someone who knows about crowding the plate: 
Minnie Minoso
Posted on 04/07/2003 9:53:42 AM PDT by Mister Magoo
Russian Accuses U.S. of Firing on Convoy
Monday April 7, 2003 5:20 PM
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's ambassador to Iraq on Monday accused American troops of firing on his convoy outside Baghdad, but a U.S. diplomat said it was still unclear who was responsible for the incident, which Russian officials said wounded at least four people.
Ambassador Vladimir Titorenko said U.S. forces fired on the convoy - which was carrying Russian diplomats and journalists toward Syria on Sunday - despite clear markings and efforts to let them know it was not carrying fighters.
``The economic counselor tried to signal to let them know we are foreigners but they fired at him and now he is suffering wounds to the head,'' Titorenko told the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya satellite channel before heading for Syria.
``I informed Moscow and the embassy immediately that the Americans opened fire on a Russian diplomatic car and on the car of the Russian ambassador, which very clearly had the Russian flag on it,'' said Titorenko, whose broken index finger was bandaged.
He said that the firing from the Americans lasted 30-40 minutes, but it was unclear whether he meant that U.S. forces fired at the convoy for that period of time. A Russian journalist who was in the convoy said Sunday that it was caught in crossfire while passing Iraqi positions near Baghdad's outskirts and might have been hit by both U.S. and Iraqi forces.
A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Russia had not yet received any official information from either the United States or the Iraqis and was awaiting their conclusions.
A senior U.S. diplomat said the United States had assured Russia that no harm was intended but was not accepting responsibility. ``It's still not clear how yesterday's incident unfolded, but it does appear that the Russian convoy came into an area where we were engaged in a firefight with Iraqi forces,'' the diplomat said.
The diplomat said the United States had coordinated with the Russians on the evacuation and had discussed various routes, but had stressed that they could not offer absolute safety guarantees because Iraq is a war zone and much of the route was not under U.S. control. The convoy was ``in the wrong place at the wrong time,'' the diplomat said.
In Qatar, Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said the U.S. Central Command had received reports about an exchange of gunfire that hit part of the convoy, but he added ``we don't have ... anything that would confirm the role of U.S. forces in that.''
``We do know it went through a contested area, an area that certainly had Iraqi forces present, and we fought those forces later in the day,'' Brooks said.
Titorenko and most of the diplomats crossed into Tanef, Syria, on Monday afternoon. A medically equipped Russian plane was to take them to Moscow on Tuesday.
One of the Russian diplomats underwent surgery and was at an Iraqi-controlled hospital in Fallujah, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Baghdad, on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said. Another diplomat stayed with him.
Yakovenko did not comment on Russian media reports that bullet holes in the vehicle and a bullet removed from an injured diplomat matched the caliber of bullets from an American M-16 rifle.
The U.S. diplomat said both sides recognized that the incident would not affect U.S.-Russian ties. The shooting came as Russia and the United States are seeking to ensure that their differences over the war, which Russia opposes, do not ruin their relationship.
The Russian "Ambassador" was quoted later saying:
"How can vee be expected to deleever our meessles, rifles and ammunition to Saddam's Army if the Amerikans are shooting at us like that."
According to a web site I just looked at:
The M-16 shoots a 5.56mm bullet.
The old AK-47 shoots a 7.62mm bullet.
The new AK-74 shoots a 5.45mm bullet.
A gun-savvy Doctor might be able to tell a used 5.56mm bullet from a 7.62mm bullet, but 5.56 from 5.45? I've no doubt that the US (we) may have shot up that convoy, but I'd be even less surprised to find out that the Russians had updated the weapons of the Iraqi forces.
Very good point. and that is coming from someone who knows about crowding the plate:
Minnie Minoso
Exactly.
Maybe Saddam had filed a warranty claim on the GPS units and they had just deliverd the replacement units:
"Refund? Vat is dis? Read yor Varranty. Defective units vill be replaced at no additional charge only!
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