G.I. Urban Legends Abound in Iraq

'Just as truth is the first casualty of war,' writes the NY Times' John Tierney in Iraq, 'urban legends seem to be the first creation of a military occupation, especially when the cultural gap is as wide as it is here.' Among the remarkable beliefs some Iraqis hold about American military personnel are these:

• U.S. troops have x-ray sunglasses allowing them to see through women's clothing.
• They take special pills that keep them cool in the desert sun.
• They have air-conditioned underwear.
• They use pages of the Qur'an for toilet paper.
• Many have converted to Islam and moved to Saudi Arabia to take Muslim wives.

G.I.s stationed in Iraq have gone out of their way to try to dispel these falsehoods, Tierney says, but 'some legends will not die.' Full story.