European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 19, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 stars and stripes june 2007 eating babies poisoned bullets no troops try to confront disturbing myths about their presence in Iraq by Zeke Minaya stars and stripes Baghdad first Paul Benfield had just counted out the restitution from his unit to a family for accidentally shoot ing a Man in a Home in Eastern Baghdad near Sadr the Man was not seriously injured and was pleased with the Benfield after the was handed the mans wife produced the Shotgun pellets on a Towel and set them in front of she asked what about the Poison bullets recalled Ben with the 82nd airborne Divi Sions 2nd brigade combat team out of fort i didst know what she was talking she maintained that sol Diers used Poison tainted Benfield was the 30yearold Florida native picked up a rolled it in his fingers and attempted to reassure the i Promise you there is no Poi he remembered in the woman insisted the americans treat her husband for the phantom Benfield if were supposed to win hearts and its hard when they think we have Poison bullets and eat Benfield Many american soldiers in Iraq have heard similar tales of farfetched stories sprouting among these tall tales attributing outlandish abilities or fiendish practices to american gis would be soldiers if not for the implications when fantasy is accepted As the american strategy in Iraq requires the populations and few things underscore the work left to be done in that Arena like a persistent Rumor americans peek through Wom ens clothing with xray sunglasses or that troops eat when you hear these you cant do anything but they Are so far away from the said 282nd Matthew you laugh but then you think about it and after the initial Shock the Soldier has to worry about countering and overcoming these of not All iraqis believe such fanciful soldiers the outrageous stories find the most Fertile ground among the uneducated and they but with the mass exodus of the iraqi Middle an in Zeke and stripes residents of Sadr City meet sunday with members of the 82nd airborne 2nd brigade combat they dont do either the american presence in Iraq has inspired plenty of bizarre and Flat out wrong when you hear these you cant do anything but they Are so far away from the said Matthew among the stories troops eat children creased percentage of the remain ing population is Likely to be unschooled and susceptible to the Zac of Jackson and a member of the said one tale was spun specifically about after their arrival in Iraq earlier this the 282nd moved into a town that was deserted by Resi dents who believed the troops dyed their berets with they believed it so much they evacuated the he Benfield said the phenomenon May not be As it after he americans have their own Urban legends and service members use Poison tainted bullets americans peek through clothing with xray sunglasses americans berets Are dyed with blood americans have a cold Pill that they take so they do not get too hot in their gear i think its just natural misunderstanding of a foreign Benfield he the though often can be bad Guys who dont like use these stories to their he said in rallying the populace against 1st class Charles Smith of the 282nd said the tall tales slow american outreach a lot of the stories Are based on mov ies and said the 33 year old North Carolina it makes it harder on us because iraqis fear us and dont want to approach barely a week goes by without a new soldiers re 282nd soldiers a Detainee being questioned complained of the heat and asked for he said he was hot and asked the Guy questioning him for a cold Benfield the interrogator asked him to the Detainee said the pills americans take so they Are not hot when they walk around the City in All their Benfield soldiers of the 282nd said the Best Way to counteract the myths springing up about americans is to continue to have a visible pres ence among a Cornerstone of the Baghdad Security Well do it by getting out of our trucks and walking and meeting Benfield Kuhn added that the Urban legends will fade away by american sol Diers talking to iraqis and ask ing their asking what their needs Are and showing Cul Tural respect toward Smith said he was i believe it can be done and we Are doing he were Knock ing on doors and stopping to i think with the interaction we have with iraqis they will see us More As email Zeke Minaya  Bush positive signs in Iraq by Lara Jakes Jordan the associated press Washington president Bush had an almost hour Long secure video teleconference with iraqi leaders on monday and came away impressed and reassured by their Progress on Politi Security and economic re the White House its Clear that youve got an environment now where the key leaders Are working together on these White House press Secretary Tony Snow said in Dis cussing the 52minute teleconference the president had with Iraq prime president and two vice Snow acknowledged that officials have heard similar Posi Tive statements from iraqi Lead ers before but said we think they Are very serious in moving on the key i think the president was impressed and re assured by the sense of serious Ness that he Secretary of state condole Ezza Rice also was assessing the Situa Tion in Iraq in a meeting at the state department with iraqi foreign min ister Hishyar Bush and rices meet Ings came a Day after David Zebari the com Mander in warned it could take As Long As a decade to stabilize Petraeus said insurgents push ing Back on newly aggressive coalition military forces have led to continued violence in de scribing an Ebban flow of Sec tarian murders in Snow said Petraeus was just pointing out that counterinsurgency is something that takes Almalik fires Basra police chief after attacks on mosques by Sinan Salaheddin the associated press Baghdad prime minister noun Almalik fired the Basra police chief monday Over his forces failure to Stop weekend attacks on sunni mosques in Iraq Sec on largest police at least two major mosques were attacked in the Basra area Over the weekend in retaliation for wednesdays toppling of minarets at a shiite shrine in Samar a new police chief would re place Mohammed Hamadi Almusawi on a Basra police officer said on Condi Tion of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the info Almusawi was seen As in because he  Stop attacks by shiite extremists against two sunni mosques in the Wake of the Samarra the officer an adviser to Almalik con firmed the report but would not spoke on Condi Tion of because he was not authorized to speak about the on bombers loaded into pickup trucks pulled up to the Alm Bashra mosque in Basra at Dawn and min utes after they a huge explosion Tore through the building and levelled it was unclear whether there were any guards present at the and Why iraqi Security forces did not but witnesses in nearby houses said they saw no sign of any immediate response from on police said bombers posing As to cameramen destroyed another important sunni mosque near the Talha bin a Zubair prompting Almalik to order a curfew in Basra through