Ah, You Almost Got Me

When I first read this story, I was worried. How could America, the country with the most kick-ass military, be so concerned with some crazy new weapon that the Shiite militia is using?

Then I re-read the first two paragraphs:

Suspected Shiite militiamen have begun using powerful rocket-propelled bombs to attack U.S. military outposts in recent months, broadening the array of weapons used against American troops.

U.S. military officials call the devices Improvised Rocket Assisted Munitions, or IRAMs. They are propane tanks packed with hundreds of pounds of explosives and powered by 107mm rockets. They are often fired by remote control from the backs of trucks, sometimes in close succession. Rocket-propelled bombs have killed at least 21 people, including at least three U.S. soldiers, this year.

Did ya catch that? The all-to-subtle acronym "U.S. military officials" are using? Improvised Rocket Assisted Munitions. IRAMs. Doesn't that sound/look familiar?

Not clear yet? OK; how about reading/seeing how it's used in context?

"IRAM attacks could be very tragic against us," said
Col. William B. Hickman, the commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division, which operates in northwestern Baghdad. "We take them very seriously."

Still head-scratching? Fine; here goes:

Iranian links?

The weapon first emerged as a threat here last fall and has become a top concern in recent months following a series of deadly attacks.

Most such attacks have been carried out during the day and some have been videotaped and aired on the satellite television station operated by Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia and political movement. U.S. military officials said they have found Iranian-made 107mm rockets at some of the blast sites, which they said suggests the weapons — or parts — may have come from Iran.

[snip]

U.S. military officials said two suspected assailants were killed in the attack, describing them as members of "special groups" or Iranian-backed Shiite militias.

The second-deadliest attack occurred April 28 at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in eastern Baghdad. The attack, which took place shortly after 1 p.m., killed three soldiers. Militiamen fired 14 rocket-propelled bombs from the back of a cargo truck.

That same day, Joint Security Station Thawra, the U.S. military's only outpost in Sadr City, in eastern Baghdad, was also attacked with rocket-propelled bombs.

Now let's take a step back:

IRAM attacks could be very tragic against us.

IRAM, Iran. IRAM, Iran. But there's no way anyone is gonna muddle those two words together, right? That's like conflating Iraq and al-Qaeda and making wild claims about WMDs!

Oh wait: