Living Through a Car Bomb Blast

NiSi ^ | 11/10/06 | Zac

[Northup-Z]

Back in September I had a friend who was injured during an IED attack in Afghanistan. I was never able to visit him in the hospital, but finally linked up yesterday via phone, and did a forty-five minute interview where he describes exactly what its like to be standing in the gunner’s turret of a Humvee when a 1000 kilo car bomb goes off less than six feet away.
In addition to these comments, he also had some interesting things to say about how the enemy has been manipulating the U.S. Media. In fact, the day after the attack on his vehicle, the Taliban actually put out a press release announcing the successful strike on his convoy. As you might expect, several news networks picked up on the Taliban’s PR.
I have condensed the whole thing down to just 13 minutes and would like as many people as possible to know about this man’s sacrifice.
You can download the interview Here
This interview is just one that has been included as part of the For Others Beyond Themselves. You can listen to more of these interviews at the For Others Beyond Themselves page at http://www.northupinfo.com/fobt

[Northup-Z]

Back in September I had a friend who was injured during an IED attack in Afghanistan. I was never able to visit him in the hospital, but finally linked up yesterday via phone, and did a forty-five minute interview where he describes exactly what its like to be standing in the gunner’s turret of a Humvee when a 1000 kilo car bomb goes off less than six feet away.
In addition to these comments, he also had some interesting things to say about how the enemy has been manipulating the U.S. Media. In fact, the day after the attack on his vehicle, the Taliban actually put out a press release announcing the successful strike on his convoy. As you might expect, several news networks picked up on the Taliban’s PR.
I have condensed the whole thing down to just 13 minutes and would like as many people as possible to know about this man’s sacrifice.
You can download the interview Here
This interview is just one that has been included as part of the For Others Beyond Themselves. You can listen to more of these interviews at the For Others Beyond Themselves page at http://www.northupinfo.com/fobt

[darkwing104]

Welcome to the FR!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

There is a book (now available in paperback ):

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Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left
(Hardcover)
by David Horowitz

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And reviews:

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Editorial Reviews

Rich Lowry, Editor National Review

David Horowitz is synonymous with pyrotechnics. A historian and polemicist of the first order, he is paid the ultimate compliment --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Davis Hanson, Author, Ripples of Battle

An original look at those who want us to fail in the Middle East, both at home and abroad. The --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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See all Editorial Reviews

Fascinating Analysis of Leftist Goals, August 13, 2006

Reviewer: N. Sincerity - See all my reviews

A former 1960s radical, Horowitz is well-acquainted with the Leftist mindset. In this book, he strives to explain the modern alliance between left wing progressivists and radical Islamofascists. He argues that this alliance is based on a common desire to destroy Western capitalism. Leftist sympathy with Islamofascist ideas makes no sense from an intellectual point of view, given that countries ruled by radical Islamists are among the most racist, sexist, theocratic states in the world today. However, Leftists have recognized that they can benefit politically from destructive terrorist attacks on the Western world. A West under attack can be made to turn on its leaders in fear and desperation (as they did in Spain after the Madrid train bombings). Only once people reject current government structures can the Left execute its anti-capitalist revolution and build a new reality that mirrors the Leftist view of utopia. The complete and utter idealogical hypocrisy of the Islamofascist-Leftist alliance is distressing, but as Horowitz reminds us, Leftists radicals truly believe the ends justify the means.

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[Vn_survivor_67-68]

"...he describes exactly what its like to be standing in the gunner’s turret of a Humvee when a 1000 kilo car bomb..."

Does anyone believe this, LOL?

(maybe the CAR weighed 2200 lbs......but NOBODY describes a 2200 lb detonation of explosive charge that went off 6 ft away)

[Criminal Number 18F]

Excellent interview, Zac. You asked really intelligent and informed questions.

I hope you're able to get the other info out of PAO purgatory.

As far as the guy who had questions about the IED is concerned: without giving too much away, each IED site and damage is examined by engineers and other experts. They have learned a great deal about these weapons and have helped reduce the toll they take (you will understand why I cannot be more specific than that). The description of the weapon effects on this armored vehicle is similar to others I have seen in the same range. It sounds like they were a little past when the bomber triggered the device.

We had an uparmored HMMWV hit by a large IED that threw some components 300 metres (yes, metres) and pretty much sheared off most of the firewall-forward. All men aboard the vehicle were treated and released for lacerations and busted eardrums.

After I came back, a friend on a second tour was hit by a mine/IED so powerful that the ankle high rubbish left over took careful study to ID as a HMMWV. (He was ejected from the turret and survived into the burn center, but died of overlooked internal injuries about two weeks after the hit. Two Americans were killed. An Afghan interpreter was ejected and survived with serious but not life-threatening injuries, rather like the guys in this story).

I'm aware of IEDs that destroyed main battle tanks and killed their crews (in Iraq, that is; nobody has deployed tanks to Afghanistan).

The point is that weapons effects of this new and improvised weapon are highly variable. Much more than sheer explosive weight influences these effects. Also, a 1,000 kilo car bomb is more likely to be improvised explosive, TATP or ANFO, than it is to be Comp B or the stuff we put in an 2,000 lb aerial bomb. Our stuff is not only more predictable and safer to handle, it's also more powerful.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[HighlyOpinionated]

I listened and I've passed the info about the website to various people and my Congressmen.

I admire and salute the military for their courage.

[modhom]

Good stuff, thanks!

[visualops]

mark/bump

[Northup-Z]

Thanks for the comments. I am new to posting and I'm not familiar with the various acronyms. Can you explain "LOL"?

With regards to the story's accuracy, Sergeant Major Welsh's integrity is impeccable.

[Northup-Z]

Thanks for the comments. I appreciate your expertise. Stay tuned to the site. I will post more soldier interviews as I get them done.

zkn

[Northup-Z]

Not sure what this has to do with the interview.

[Guenevere]

I will tell you...but take it with a grain of salt.

Some folks here...at FR....sometimes question new posters or are suspicious of their reports or details of their reports....

..LOL, means....laughing out loud...

We welcome you here to FR....but you may have to grow a thick skin as this is an open forum and people can ask almost anything.

Thank-you for this detailed report!!!

[AmericaUnite]

Bump.

[Nailbiter]

ping, good interview

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

As you can see (plausibly, at least) in post # 5, there are 2200 lb VBIED's and there are 1000 kilo IED's......I guess we should get after the Syrians and Iranians for supplying their muzzlim jihaddi brothers with sugar, charcoal, and sulfur. /s

Pardon my skepticism re the terminology used.....there seems to be zero shortage of military explosives available to the enemy in Iraq....On that premise I stand by my original statement re survivability @ 6 feet from a 2200 lb event.

[Northup-Z]

Understand your skepticism. They did a post blast analysis and are pretty sure about the 1000 kilos of explosives. The car, a Toyota Camry, also was packed with mortar shells and hand grenades that apparently did not go off.

[Northup-Z]

Yes. I learned a decade ago that criticism of my writing is not criticism of me. I'm comfortable with answering the challenges. Frankly, that's why I post audio instead of articles. When you hear something straight from a source, it's kind of hard to refute it.

Thanks for the feedback.

zkn

[hedgetrimmer]

Just an FYI, the US media is owned by the enemy. When Gore passed the Telecommunications act of 1996, it allowed foreign corporations and foreigners to own our major media outlets. Fox news, in fact is party owned by Saudi Arabians. When you see bias in the media against America, it is because foreign ownership of media is a calculated way for the globalists to undermine a fundamental characteristic of American freedom, that is freedom of the press, and local control of the media. In 1996, all the old laws preventing media monopolies (dangerous to liberty) and foreign ownership of media (dangerous to American liberty) were thrown out the window.

If you want to see a free press again, one that stands up for America and espouses American ideals, the Telecommunications act of 1996 has to be repealed,and monopolization of the media has to be stopped.

Only then will you get honest reporting on the war and every other issue important to American liberty.

[Guenevere]

Again, Welcome to Free Republic!

[Northup-Z]

Just conducted an interview with a good friend named Don Shepperd. Don was with a group of “War Heads” - military affairs analysts from the major networks - who just returned from Israel. There, they were given access to the highest levels of the IDF and Olmert government. I am not sure whether Don has appeared yet on CNN to discuss his trip, but we spoke for about thirty minutes this morning and he had some terrific info on the status of the IDF since the war in Lebanon, and the looming crisis with Iran. Much more than you would get with standard news package on CNN. As with the last post, would be thrilled if you would pass this on to friends and those interested in the War on Terror You can download the interview at http://www.northupinfo.com/Podcasts/shepperd/Shepperd.mp3. Alternatively, the story is also available as a podcast at http://www.northupinfo.com/Podcasts/rss.xml. Finally, there is an introduction and list of other stories at http://www.northupinfo.com/infocenter.asp . Thanks, zkn