Posted on 11/05/2001 5:47:46 PM PST by Lady In Blue
Nov 5, 2001
WASHINGTON (AP) - With its use of the 15,000-pound "daisy cutter" bomb in Afghanistan, the United States has unleashed one of its most powerful weapons - billed as the world's largest conventional bomb.
The BLU-82 combines a watery mixture of ammonium nitrate and aluminum with air, then ignites the mist for a huge explosion that incinerates everything within up to 600 yards. The shock wave can be felt miles away.
The BLU-82 uses about six times the amount of ammonium nitrate explosive that Timothy McVeigh used in the bomb that blew up the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995.
First created during the Vietnam War to quickly clear jungle landing zones, the daisy cutter also was used against Iraqi troops during the Gulf War. Reports from the ground in Afghanistan indicate the huge bombs have been used against front-line Taliban positions.
The bombs cost about $27,000 each. They are dropped from a C-130 cargo plane flying at least 6,000 feet off the ground, to avoid the bomb's massive shock wave. Each is more than 17 feet long and 5 feet in diameter - about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle but far heavier.
AP-ES-11-05-01 2047EST
This story can be found at : http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA6ASS1PTC.html
Let's compare this to Pearl Harbor....
On Dec. 7, 1941, the US was hit by a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. Thousands were killed and the US fleet was crippled. The US immediately declared war on Japan.
But look at this...
27th February 1942, nearly 3 months after the attack at Pearl, The Battle of the Java Sea begins and continues for three days, during which the Allies, under the command of the Dutch Admiral, Karel Doorman lose five cruisers and six destroyers, while the Japanese lose just 4 transports.
11th March 1942, General MacArthur leaves Corregidor and the Philippines for Australia, after being ordered to assume command of the new South-West Pacific area, which in effect meant all Allied forces in the Pacific. MacArthur's last words before leaving were "I shall return!". General M. Wainwright takes over command in the Philippines. MacArthur is ordered out because the situation in the Philippines is hopeless.
14th March 1942, US troops arrive in Australia in force. Australia is a friendly country. It took over 3 months for the first large contingent of troops to arrive in Australia.
9th April 1942, US-Filipino forces on Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines surrender. 78,000 troops are captured, including 12,000 Americans, but 2,000 escape to Corregidor. This is the largest capitulation in US History. This is over 4 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
18th April 1942, Colonel Doolittle leads 16 US Army B25 bombers from the carrier Hornet in first air raid on Tokyo and Japan. This is the US's first strike back at Japan. 16 bombers after more than 4 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
4th May 1942, US carrier force engages part of Japanese invasion fleet in Battle of Coral Sea, the first naval battle fought entirely with aircraft. This is 5 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
7th May 1942, General Wainwright surrenders Corregidor to the Japanese, along with 15,000 prisoners.
4th June 1942, US fleet engages Japanese in the decisive Battle of Midway. After three days the Japanese retreat with heavy losses. The first significant victory over the Japanese occured 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Back to the war on terrorism. Afghanistan is completely landlocked. Pakistan has a sizeable protion of it's population that will support the Taliban. The "stan" republics on the North side are providing bases because of fear, not because they love us. Iran, is an enemy.
Afghanistan is almost exactly opposite the US on the globe. It is as far away from the US as a country can be. Yet within one month, we had regular bombing raids, troops on the ground and military successes against an enemy that uses caves and civilians to hide in and behind.
Oh yeah, this war is a dismal failure can be conclusively stated at three weeks into it's execution.....
USA could always say "wasn't our fault, man."
Welcome, whatever your name is. Listen, you don't have to prove you're an idiot on your first day, take your time, ease into it.
By your logic, all that killing during WWII simply was the wrong answer. Killing all those Germans only increased the killing of everyone else.
Perhaps you should rethink who is a fool
Maybe Eleanor "Rodham" Clift (lol!) would like to be strapped onto one of these things and go for a 6,000 ft. ride straight down?!
Hey...... that's actually a terrific idea. Maybe we could take up a FR collection and send the money to Rumsfeld? (My father-in-law was one of Rumsfeld's teachers in high school, btw.)
Frankly, if the anthrax attack can be proven to be linked to Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda operatives and their abettors, the Taliban, the line has been crossed as far as the use of nuclear weapons is concerned. BTW, some of the bombs used are as powerful as tactical nukes anyway.
Way cool! Tell your idea to Rumsfeld.
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