U.S. Army Stryker Brigade Facing Deadly Struggle Against IEDs in Afghanistan - Video 9/8/09
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Here is a video report by Richard Engel with a U.S. Army Stryker Brigade in Afghanistan, showing the struggle they face in dealing with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which are the primary cause for increasing casualties in recent weeks. This Stryker Brigade has lost nine men in three weeks, all to IEDs. They are serving in a Taliban stronghold area south of Kandahar.
1 comments:
While there is no real answer at present to prevent all IED deaths and injuries, work on preventing them must not stop and be ramped up and expedited.
But Afghanistan is not the place for monster vehicles that can stand the force of the IEDs. There are no roads or highways and they just become a hazard when they are stuck or turned over due to the rough terrain.
The Marines use metal detectors carried by the point man. This has worked in many cases, but in others it didn't. Remote detonation by someone patiently waiting for our troops to come in range is almost impossible to detect and prevent. Electronic devices to blanket the frequencies that the detonator might use also stop all radio communications and are heavy and bulky and can not be carried by one man but require a vehicle. Only small lightweight vehicles can operate in some of the flatter areas in Afghanistan, in the rest of the areas, its on foot or by air.
It is a quandary and as long as the bad guys can get or make explosives it will continue.
Papa Ray
West Texas
Post a Comment