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| Afghanistan | ||
| Taliban alters its deadly IED tactics, Rep. Duncan Hunter proposes solution | ||
| 2011-04-10 | ||
Insurgents in Afghanistan have changed tactics in how they place deadly improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Marine Corps reserve officer who saw combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, noted that Marines and soldiers are being maimed and killed by foot-deep pressure-activated mines. The Taliban is creating belts of such IEDs around villages that U.S. troops approach by foot. Mr. Hunter said the IED ring is a relatively new implement in the 10-year-old war. IEDs are the biggest killers of U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan, accounting for at least 57 percent of battlefield fatalities each year since 2007. This year, of 93 allied fatalities, of which 79 were U.S., 57 came from IEDs, according to the website iCasualties.org. Several weeks ago, Mr. Hunter and a private contractor discussed a simple solution: Provide each Marine approaching a village on foot with a heavy robot affixed with a 3-foot-wide conveyor belt. The Marine could remotely control the vehicle so it travels far enough ahead of him that a triggered blast would not injure any troops. Mr. HunterÂ’s idea was buttressed over the weekend when he went bird hunting with Marines wounded by IEDs. They told him some Marines have requested that their families send them toy trucks that they could weigh down and use like bomb-detonating robots.
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| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #12 And a metal detector in front wouldn't hurt. |
| Posted by: Zebulon Thranter9685 2011-04-10 20:52 |
| #11 I go fishing but I don't go catching very much. Could it be the beer? Nah, the fish just don't like the bait. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2011-04-10 18:50 |
| #10 "Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day." Speaking from experience, Deacon? ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2011-04-10 18:48 |
| #9 Shamelessly stolen from Terry Pratchett, Frank. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2011-04-10 18:46 |
| #8 Give a man a fish and he'll eat today. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2011-04-10 18:44 |
| #7 should've known Snowy would follow strong to that weak tea. :-) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-04-10 18:24 |
| #6 "Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life." |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2011-04-10 18:21 |
| #5 I'm all for Cause<=>Effect lessons, AP. Teach a man to fish, yadda yadda, teach a man to blow up...whoops, wrong adage |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-04-10 18:14 |
| #4 You could also make the Taliban pay the price by bringing heavy rubble bouncing to Wazoo and other bases. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2011-04-10 17:52 |
| #3 SAM, if you're going to go this far---it's simpler to just arc light the village. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-04-10 17:32 |
| #2 he's my congress-critter and we like him. He did Artillery in Iraq. He'll be in office til he decides to quit or move up (or....screws up), he's that well-liked - like his Dad |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-04-10 15:39 |
| #1 March the villagers through the IED fields, I'm sure they know where they're buried. Or march captured Taliban through them. Either way, works for me. Time to adopt our enemies culture and ways. Good enough for them, good enough for us. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man 2011-04-10 14:10 |