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U.S. Uses Huge Bomb Against Taliban Forces
Associated Press ^
| November 5, 2001
| staff
Posted on 11/05/2001 5:47:46 PM PST by Lady In Blue
Nov 5, 2001
U.S. Uses Huge Bomb Against Taliban Forces
The Associated Press
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
TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: daisycutter; oef; taliban
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FYI and DISCUSSION.
To: Lady In Blue
We need to make 'em bigger still and even more deadly. In fact, someone needs to create something that works like a nuke but isn't a nuke. Then we can wage war and the peaceniks will never know the difference....
To: Lady In Blue
Fire away. Money well spent.
To: Lady In Blue
Cool! Pretty reasonably priced for the bang.......
NeverGore
4
posted on
11/05/2001 5:51:10 PM PST
by
nevergore
To: Lady In Blue
The bombs cost about $27,000 each.Dirt-cheap bargains. Talk about "bang for buck."
To: Lady In Blue
Daisy cutter and the size of a VW it gives new meaning to the word FLOWER POWER!!!
To: Lady In Blue
Yeah, but do the Muslims across the world approve??
To: Lady In Blue
Question is: Why have they waited,until ,now to use them?
8
posted on
11/05/2001 5:53:07 PM PST
by
auggy
To: Lady In Blue
I am presuming they are "unguided". What kind of accuracy can they get from 30,000 feet?
To: Trueblackman
Daisy cutter and the size of a VW it gives new meaning to the word FLOWER POWER!!!Good one!
To: Lady In Blue
The bombs cost about $27,000 each. Right on, the price is right, too! No need to use million dollar cruise missiles after achieving air supremacy. I hope the Taliban loves it as much as we do.
To: Kevin Curry
$27,000? Where do we send our money to?
To: Lady In Blue
This isn't good enough. I want it the size of a Lincoln Navigator not a damn little V-dub.
To: Boston Capitalist
Just saw this on TV. They use a parachute to float them down in order to give the plane time to clear the area.
14
posted on
11/05/2001 5:56:23 PM PST
by
Timmy
To: Kevin Curry
The bombs cost about $27,000 each. Dirt-cheap bargains. Talk about "bang for buck."
You beat me to it. The price is right and that bomb has got to pure terror for the frontline troops. Still feeling frisky, Taliban?
To: Lady In Blue
Does this mean the duel's off? Awwwwwwwwww! Shucks!
16
posted on
11/05/2001 5:56:50 PM PST
by
TomGuy
To: anniegetyourgun
I saw a bit of Fox News Channels,late Thursday and they showed something that was awsome! It was,I think, a "Fire bomb"? Did anybody see Fox last Thursday? It was a monster.It doesn't explode right away.It goes down about 50 feet and then explodes.It looked like the opening to hell!
To: Lady In Blue
Bombs Away!
To: LoneGOPinCT
Agree!
To: Lady In Blue
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