Pentagon Poultry Doesn’t Fare Well

While mine-searching dolphins were the most recognized members of the animal kingdom the military used in the war against Iraq, other species such as chickens were in the Pentagon’s war plans.

The chickens were to be used to detect chemical or biological agents, thus forewarning military personnel so they could don protective gear.

But the chickens were not from Tyson Foods Inc., the world’s largest poultry firm headquartered in Springdale. “That’s very safe to say,” said Ed Nicholson, a spokesman for Tyson Foods.

The chicken experiment, named Operation Kuwaiti Field Chicken, or KFC, didn’t go as planned because the tough desert environment didn’t agree with the finicky fowl. The military admitted “dozens” of chickens died during the long trip from Kuwait into Iraq.

Of course, that didn’t stop the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals from launching additional campaigns (others include “Kentucky Fried Cruelty,” “Milks Sucks,” “Leather is Dead Skin” and “Furshame”).

We wonder if PETA complained to the Baath Party in Iraq, which was suspected of using kamikaze camels strapped with explosives.