U.S. spending billions to stop Iraq IEDs

AP ^ | March 13 2006 | CHARLES J. HANLEY

[jmc1969]

The United States is pouring billions more dollars and fresh platoons of experts into its campaign to "defeat IEDs," the roadside bombs President Bush describes as threat No. 1 to Iraq's future.

The American military even plans to build special, more defensible highways here, in its frustrating standoff with the makeshift munitions - "improvised explosive devices" - that Iraqi insurgents field by the hundreds to hobble U.S. road movements in the 3-year-old conflict.

Out on those risky roads, and back at the Pentagon, few believe that even the most advanced technology will eliminate the threat.

"As we've improved our armor, the enemy's improved his IEDs. They're bigger, and with better detonating mechanisms," said Maj. Randall Simmons, whose Georgia National Guard unit escorts convoys in western Iraq that are regularly rocked, damaged and delayed by roadside blasts.

Lt. Col. Bill Adamson, operations chief for the anti-IED campaign, was realistic about the challenge in a Pentagon interview. "They adapt more quickly than we procure technology," he said of the insurgents.

The bomb makers have the White House's attention. In a radio address on Saturday, Bush said roadside bombs "are now the principal threat to our troops and to the future of a free Iraq."

The Pentagon's upgraded Joint IED Defeat Organization is getting a sharply increased $3.3 billion this year to foil the often rudimentary weapons, which the Iraqi resistance generally fashions from artillery and mortar rounds. The "JIEDDO" staff of explosives experts and others will almost triple, to 365.

From 2004 to 2006, some $6.1 billion will have been spent on the U.S. effort - comparable, in equivalent dollars, to the cost of the Manhattan Project installation that produced plutonium for World War II's atom bombs.

[RightWhale]

It might be premature to take out Sadr at this point. Already he has declined to respond to the recent attacks on his own people because he doesn't want to take the civil war route. He would prefer to go mainstream, as have many former guerillas and terrorists, including Hamas, which may right now be going mainstream, business suits and all.

[R.W.Ratikal]

The U.S. should seriously consider dropping a nuclear bomb on each strategic point in Iraq. Next, on nuclear sites and population centers in Iran.

We would take much flak from the wimp's of the world but we would settle the thing now and save millions of American lives.

It's not an easy suggestion to make. But we face the same situation President Truman faced when he made the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japanese cities.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

I can hardly believe that someone hasn't come up with some "fairly simple" mobile platform containing a surplus highly directional aircraft radar system that will wash an area suspected of having IEDs with intense microwave energy. (I can also imagine other uses for such a system, but I digress) There are military radars that will literally fry anything organic in front of them. Think "Amana", LOL. Might take a small jet engine to generate the power necessary to drive such a system but that's doable. Almost seems like a "Jesse James Monster Garage" project, although the HUGH disadvantage would be that billions wouldn't have to be spent to develop the thing. = BIG problem.

[Albert Barr]

"Just wait until Terror cells are placing IEDs in and around Washington, DC or New York City. People will be screaming for solutions....."

Isn't that what all those "traffic cams" are for. To many camera's filming everybody in America to get away with this for to long.

When the neighborhoods of America have gotten bad enough to harbor bomb factories and bomber training than we have really sunken in a hole. I could see this type of thing happening in france or germany but I don't think we've been penetrated that bad, yet. I hope not at least!

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"We should spend 50 cents and OFF troublemakers like Chubby Boy Al-Sadr"

Interesting. About the cost of one bullet.

Look at this way too. Why spend Billions of dollars? How only 1 billion on 999 tomahawks (1 million a piece) at tehrans plants, military headquarters. No troops, no occupation, just Ambassador Bolton occupying the United States desk at the U.N. next to the phone waiting for the "we give" call.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"So, IMHO, funds well spent if research leads to workable battlefield solutions to threats posed by IEDs."

Billions? What in on earth could we be spending billions on? research? How can a human bomb be neutralized by an EMP? We are spending billions on IEDs in Iraq, and millions of illegal aliens cross our borders daily. What could stop them from buying a scalped ticket from the newspaper and walk in a NCAA final four sporting event and do their damage? You must work the pyramid. Kill the leaders and known nation-state supporters and smash the bricks on the way down, destroying the corporate knowledge along the way. Export knowledge, jobs, freedom, hope. The last time this planet was at this point was the beginning of the dark ages. And now we have migrating birds carrying a deadly virus around the world. Sounds like Stephen King.

[MikefromOhio]

I seriously doubt we are spending BILLIONS on IEDs alone.....