The signature weapon of the Iraq war has established itself as the Taliban's weapon of choice in Afghanistan as well, where roadside bombs have proven to be rudimentary and cheap -- but deadly as ever.
The use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has soared in Afghanistan since 2007 and numbers are expected to spike further as an offensive in Kandahar takes off, said the commander of one of two southern battalions that clear them from roads.
Apart from being the biggest killer of NATO troops in Afghanistan, roadside bombs also put soldiers on the defensive, making them wary of leaving their armored vehicles -- striking at the heart of U.S. efforts to meet locals and win their trust.
Unlike the sophisticated devices conjured by Iraqi bombmakers with access to a large supply of ammunition, IEDs in Afghanistan are rudimentary -- often just a yellow pine oil jug or pressure cooker packed with fertilizer or a homemade device crafted out of wood and batteries, stuck into a culvert in the road.
"I was surprised at how rudimentary the devices here are, but very effective," Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, commander of Taskforce Lumberjack, which operates slow-moving convoys of heavily armored vehicles to spot and remove IEDs. "In terms of making do with what they have available, they do a very good job."
By: Brant
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