U.S. Inspector General Report Says That Bomb Sniffing Dogs Used In Iraq And Afghanistan Are Not Properly Trained

Marines attached to 1st Battalion, 6th regiment, Charlie Company relax with their bomb sniffing dogs, “Books” (r.) and “Good one” at a camp on the outskirts of Marjah in central Helmand province in southern Afghanistan yesterday. (Photo by Christophe Simon /AFP/Getty Images)

Report Says U.S. Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Are Poorly Trained -- Salon/AP

Inspector general says canines in Iraq are not being properly tested for scents commonly found in explosives.

The State Department's inspector general says bomb-sniffing dogs used in Afghanistan and Iraq aren't being tested properly and may not be able to effectively detect explosives.

In a report released Friday, the inspector general said its review found that the companies hired to supply and train the dogs weren't testing them for all of the scents of the most commonly encountered explosives, increasing the chance of a dog missing a bomb in a vehicle or luggage. That puts U.S. troops at risk.

Read more ....

Update: Report says US bomb-sniffing dogs not up to snuff -- AP

My Comment: The full report from the Inspector General can be read here.