An Army captain asked, "What kind of people loot dirt?"
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It's a desert stupid. Dirt is valuable. You grow things in dirt, remember?
Besides, (just guessing) the Army Engineers probably bought topsoil from a US contractor so grass would grow in it. In other words it was expensive dirt.
As far as Iraqis being difficult raw material for self-government, it seems to me, they are doing their best under difficult circumstances. After all the US and its puppet regime are sure as hell not running Iraq.
CG