Robbery in downtown Baghdad nets $1 million

[Robbien]

ASSOCIATED PRESS

6:27 a.m. December 11, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Gunmen disguised as Iraqi soldiers stopped a bank truck carrying $1 million in downtown Baghdad, stole the money and kidnapped its four guards Monday, police said.

The al-Sharq al-Awasat bank money was being taken to the Iraqi Central Bank when about 10 gunmen in two cars intercepted the truck on a side street, a policeman said, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect his own security.

The attackers put the money and hostages in their cars and fled, he said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20061211-0627-iraq-bankrobbery.html

[Eugene]

1. Amateurs.

Small time at that. The professionals have stolen billions.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Entirely incorrect.

It is not theft when you are given the money with the complements of the bank managers.

[Robbien]

3. The police are only talking about this in secret

The secrecy is to protect their own safety they say. That probably means no one in authority is talking about the theft thus no one is planning on making any kind of investigation or arrest.

Hey, Free money.

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. $1m in a truck in Baghdad, and people there with little/no elec., water, housing

So, what was the origin of the money, and where and who exactly was it supposed to go?

Yes, the article states the money was going to the Iraqi Central Bank, but I still question to whom it was really being delivered.

shit...I question everything that I hear and read about what's going on in Iraq....can't help myself.

[Barrett808]

5. Baghdad robbers grab $1 million and run

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms ambushed a security vehicle transporting money to the Central Bank in Baghdad and made off with $1 million in cash on Monday, police and Interior Ministry sources said.

Four private security guards were kidnapped in the daylight robbery in busy Sadoun Street in central Baghdad in an attack that highlighted the lawlessness gripping the capital.

The security vehicle was transporting money in sacks from a local bank to the Central Bank in nearby Rasheed Street when it was stopped by about 20 gunmen traveling in three vehicles with no license plates, police and Interior Ministry sources said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061211/wl_nm/iraq_robbery_dc

I thought those spiffy new Iraqi army uniforms were supposed to prevent occurrences like this.

[napi21]

6. Ahh, the westernization of Iraq! n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

7. A little more obvious than Halliburton, but same effect. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

8. Same pair of pants, just coming out of a different pocket. Good to see...

someone has faith in the US dollar!

[Canuckistanian]

9. They should have become contractors

That way, they could have walked away with a million with an armed military escort.

[zbdent]

10. amateurs ... now, if they were dressed as American businessmen ...

they'd have run off with billions, and the security forces would have held the doors open for them ...

[pinniped]

11. 1 million USD?

At least the Merkans don't have to convert their share of the take.