New US offensive in Afghanistan

[Random]

From what I've read - and it is western media - landsmine/IED development 'took off' during the occupation of Iraq. It was the only tool that worked consistently. I hope there's not going to be an argument about where those munitions came from.

Same sophistication later arrives in Helmund, which borders Iran.

How many countries on the short-list?

It's still Pakistan, for a host of reasons, some of which I've already mentioned. And the money - Pakistan and also Saudi Arabia. Any input from Iran will be tiny compared to that.

 

[Barking_Mad]

Most of them are probably left over from the anti-USSR war, when the CIA poured millions of dollars worth of kit into the place. What new stuff is getting to the Taliban is probably coming via their contacts in the Pakistan army. Which means, ultimately, from the USA.

It was perhaps no coincidence that after a few years of the Iraq war the IED's in Afghanistan began to get more advanced, when previously they weren't a major factor. Im not saying it's any specific group responsible, probably just a transfer of information and technology at some point along the line.

 

[London_Calling]

There is also the obvious; a long, non-mountainous, porous border on the other side of which are manufacturers of sophisticated IED's whose primary market has dried up. It doesn't have to be an Iranian government policy, just free enterprise.

 

[Jonti]

So do you know the source of the explosives used in the original improvised devices, as deployed by anti-occupation Iraqi irregulars?

 

[butchersapron]

porous border - a good term for people like L_C and other blaggers.

 

[theCIA]

those armour piercing ied's are not that advanced, its basically a large pipe bomb with a brass or copper concave cap on one end. isnt it?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

The Soviets had six times the number of troops in Afghanistan that the international coalition has.

I don't think that's the test.

 

[butchersapron]

What is then? Neither did they btw. It did prove to be the ultimate test irrespective of their wishes.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

What is then? Neither did they btw. It did prove to be the ultimate test irrespective of their wishes.

I'm saying the test isn't the number of troops you have there. There are other factors that will determine defeat or otherwise.

 

[Pickman's model]

I'm saying the test isn't the number of troops you have there. There are other factors that will determine defeat or otherwise.

yeh cos the evil yanks had hundreds of thousands in vietnam and it didn't do them much good and the evil surrender french monkeys had 500,000 in algeria and algeria's no longer french.

 

[butchersapron]

OK, we're in agreement on that johhny..

Odd time for you to actually read the thread.

Some of those other factors are?

 

[London_Calling]

Several outlets carrying the same story, here's one:

In March, the number of IED incidents in Afghanistan was a record 361. April beat it with 407, May had 465. The steady 10-15% monthly climb is gone now, replaced with a precipitous rise in June, which records are showing had 736 IED incidents

This looks like a particularly big fucker, actually looks somewhat staged but wtf do I know:

That's a lot of manpower.

 

[butchersapron]

Not a lot. Are you aware of the speed with which the IRA developed it's factories from a nothing base? And in a place where they've been specuialising in it for 30 years? Google blagger.

 

[DotCommunist]

Several outlets carrying the same story, here's one:





This looks like a particularly big fucker, actually looks somewhat staged but wtf do I know:

That's a lot of manpower.

Now I am no expert, but that looks like two separate explosives linked to a radio controlled detonator

Anti-tank mines adapted?

 

[dylans]

They've also got a strong will to fight, a centuries-old culture of honour, feuding and revenge, powerful clan loyalties, an ability to blend in with the local population, knowledge of the terrain, no centralised command to knock out, and a birth rate sufficient to double the number of men of fighting age within twenty-five years.

And they have defeated every single army that has ever set foot in their country.

 

[London_Calling]

Google blagger.

You're starting to fuck me off with your mouthy, Internet warrior, name-calling bullshit. What's the matter with you, why do you find it difficult to act like a mature man?