Ultmate in cluelessness?

At least, a leading candidate:

"The bureaucratic mind at work, from the WSJ Political Diary:

"Before deploying from Savannah, Georgia to Iraq by a chartered airliner, the troops of the 48th Brigade Combat Team, a National Guard unit, had to go through the same security checks as any other passengers. Lt. Col. John King, the unit's commander, told his 280 fellow soldiers that FAA anti-hijacking regulations require passengers to surrender pocket knives, nose hair scissors and cigarette lighters. 'If you have any of those things,' he said, almost apologetically, 'put them in this box now.' The troops were, however, allowed to keep hold of their assault rifles, body armour, helmets, pistols, bayonets and combat shotguns. " -- reported in the Air Finance Journal".

"Put down that assault rifle or I'll clip your nose hairs".

Via Samizdata.