Rations, bomblets a different color
Umm...shouldn't this be self-evident? And didn't we have this same discussion during the war in Kosovo in 1999 and again in Afghanistan last year?
NEW YORK (CNN) -- After concerns were raised about the potential of Iraqi children confusing yellow packets of food rations with yellow bomblets being dropped there, the color of all future food rations will be changed, a U.S. official said Thursday.
The official said the wrapping on existing ration packets will not be changed, but future rations will be in an apricot-colored packaging.
The rations are produced by a company contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense, and coalition forces then distribute them to people in Iraq.
The U.N. International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday urged coalition forces to change the color of the rations so that children would not confuse them with bomblets that might explode when opened.
While -- unlike bomblets -- the rations are not being air dropped, UNICEF said, "Children could still confuse the ration and the unexploded ordnance."
Well, I suppose that this cogent piece of military wisdom is why military planners make the big bucks, eh??
