Insurgents in Iraq have reached a new level of military sophistication by developing a bomb which penetrates heavily armoured vehicles, US commanders have admitted.
Recent roadside bombs have used a “shaped” charge which concentrates the blast, devastating some of the most heavily protected Humvees.
Insurgents have also developed a way to detonate bombs with infrared lasers rather than mobile phones, which can be jammed.
The refinements have fuelled a surge in US casualties, with roadside bombs alone responsible for at least 68 deaths since May, the highest toll over a two-month period since the guerrilla war began two years ago.
**A shaped charge was believed responsible for last week’s attack in Ramadi, which was so powerful it melted a Humvee and showered the remains of five marines onto rooftops. **
The Pentagon warned on Tuesday that their foe would grow more sophisticated and lethal - in contrast to US vice-president Dick Cheney’s recent assertion that the insurgency was in its “last throes”.
A summit of more than 200 US military engineers blew up vehicles in the Californian desert last week in an attempt to devise counter-measures, such as more body armour or improving electronic jammers. The rebels, who often plant fake bombs to study the US response, draw on vast stocks of artillery shells taken from Iraqi army depots after Saddam’s fall.
Re: Iraqi Insurgents have developed deadly new bombs
Hah!!!
I was wondering how long before they finally stopped using anti-infantry warhead (artillery shells) and realised that shaped charges will penetrate anything but tank-grade armour.
Shaped charges have been around for over 50 years having been developed in WW2. They aren't all that complex, the main problem being the need to set off the warhead very close to and facing the target.
If they put enough armour on Humvees to protect against shaped charges, the Humvees will lose a lot of their mobility.
Re: Iraqi Insurgents have developed deadly new bombs
FYI, majority of the vicitims are Iraqi civilians. These Arrabobs will never realize that killing and bloodshed is not good for the Middle East.
So now these Arrabobs kill Sunnis, and Americans bomb the Sunni terrorists. Ultimately the Sunni triangle will be an empty square. The result will be that Kurds and Sistani will rule Iraq.
Re: Iraqi Insurgents have developed deadly new bombs
Cheney is such an idiot! Bush should have dropped him a long time ago.
And oh yeah, why not get the he** out of the middle east and the local gangs duke it out? The bedouins are dumb enough by themselves and Israel is much smarter than US and no longer needs US protection which is a joke anyway
Re: Iraqi Insurgents have developed deadly new bombs
That would have been true 200 years ago. Biddus were allowed to sleep on the heap of sand and chase she-camels during the night. World wars have completely changed the picture.
Milosovich created troubles for the world order, he is sitting in jail.
Sad-damn created troubles, and guess what? He is sitting in jail.
The funny thing is that both of them rave and rant. Both of them still thing they are the presidents. One orthodox Christian, the other a secular Arrabob. Religion doesn’t matter anymore. You make trouble, you will be in jail or in hiding in a cave somewhere in Kandhar.
Re: Iraqi Insurgents have developed deadly new bombs
So tell me what jail are A.Q.Khan, Idi Amin, King of Suadi Arabia, Mullah Omar and Osama are in? One in a dozen get the punishment they deserve and that too after millions have suffered because of them. But for 9/11, very likely Musharaf could have gone that route also!
The US has the ability to be the super power meting out justice in the middle east but in recent times has proven incompetent, thanks to dumbos like Cheney.
Re: Iraqi Insurgents have developed deadly new bombs
Amerika may be the new Bharati God with long nose. However for rest of the world they are just humans. They make calculated decisions to see where they can change things.
Again you are showing colors of NRI-RUKAS (that for you Non Resident Indian - Residents of UK Aloo stores).
The one eyed MAToo Umar and Ben-la-Deen are the on the run hiding in a hole just like Sad-Damn or Milosovich. Their days are numbered just like the two-amigos.
Saudi King is the biggest stabalizer in the middle East. Why do you bring up his name. Simply shows the Aloo store training.
Musharraf and Pak army is the biggest US resource for the last 60 years. You bring up his name just to show your hatred for Pakistan. What else we can expect from RUKAS.
Re: Iraqi Insurgents have developed deadly new bombs
Makes you wonder about the intelligence of those leading the insurgency. I’d have serious doubts about my leaders if they took over a year to work out that shaped charges penetrate more armour than shrapnel warheads. Its not like they’ve got a shortage of targets to try new things on.