At some point, even if you’re willing to give the Associated Press the benefit of the doubt and assume that many of their mistakes are due to sheer incompetence instead of agenda-driven intent, don’t you have to wonder why their mistakes always result in headlines like this?

U.S., Iraqi troops clash in Baghdad.

That headline implies, obviously to any sentient being with more than 2 functioning synapses, that US and Iraqi troops clashed with each other.

But the actual story reports that US and Iraqi troops worked together, and apparently kicked some insurgent ass.

More evidence of cognitive dissonance at high levels in the Associated Press.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi troops battled Sunni insurgents hiding in high-rise buildings on Haifa Street in the heart of Baghdad Wednesday, with snipers on roofs taking aim at gunmen in open windows as Apache attack helicopters hovered overhead.

Iraq said 30 militants were killed and 27 captured.

Bryan noticed this one too: Shameless AP journalistic crime of the day.