BOWLING FOR ALLAH

Here's a familiar report. This week a suicide bomber in Iraq killed 17 people waiting outside a police recruiting center.

How many times has this happened since the coup d'coalition? Countless, it seems. 12 people killed while waiting outside a recruitment center. 14 die from a car blast while waiting outside a police recruitment office. 6 people gunned down while waiting in line outside a police recruitment center.

What I want to know is why there's always a line outside of these places? Can't they get these people inside the building? Can't they tell them to come back when there's no line? Shit - would YOU stand in that line if it were more than 2 or 3 people deep? If I see a line at STARBUCKS I keep walking. A little impatience in some parts of the world could mean the difference between life and death.

I don't mean to come off as insensitive, especially when I admire the courage of these people - to stand in line for hours surrounded by clear and present danger. Targets. But let's be smart about this. Lines outside of recruitment centers are easy marks. I think they need to start issuing numbers at the door, or making appointments to keep the line down so these people aren't standing around in the sun waiting for some lunatic strapped with explosives to go bowling for Allah.