Thursday, September 21, 2006

IED Mart

Very interesting information, chez Rob.
Defense News:
An independent assessment of IEDs in Iraq, obtained by Defense News and based on British military intelligence, said, "Based on current usage, there are enough stocks of illegal explosives to continue the same level of attack for 274 years without re-supply"
See also Billmon's discussion of IEDs. This is asymmetric war at its finest; the weaker side develops a capability that saps the strength of its opponent and incurs extremely heavy defensive costs. This should also serve to reveal the absurdity of the "It's all Iran's fault" argument that you often find in the wingnutosphere. Iraqis can dislike us without Iranian assistance, and they've no shortage of available ordinance.

2 comments:

MT said...

I bet that 274-year figure doesn't factor in the need for a car or a garbage can or a suitcase or a cinder blocks or some other non-pulverized matter in which to place the ordinance. Not to mention roads to focus traffic. In less than five years Iraq may be just sand and Hummmers. Then the insurgents are going to have to come up with something more clever.

helmut said...

Thin Air IED (TM).