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WARPLANES: The Avalanche Weapon
Strategypage.com ^ | March 22, 2002 | Stephen V. Cole

Posted on 03/22/2002 11:24:45 AM PST by John H K

US strike planners used a new tactic in the Afghan War: deliberately triggered avalanches. By having geologists study the terrain through recon photos, they could pick out areas that were "rockslides waiting to happen". If Taliban or al Qaeda troops were downhill from these areas, bombs were targeted to hit the mountainsides to trigger huge waves of crushed rock. Doing this provided surprise, as the targeted troops did not realize they were under attack when bombs landed a mile or two away from them. In one case, a large concentration of troops in a forested area could not be accurately targeted with bombs, but sending thousands of tons of rock into the forest destroyed the unit.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; airstrikes; avalanches; tactics; talibanlist; warlist
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About 10 seconds till some nitwite HR group declares this "inhumane."
1 posted on 03/22/2002 11:24:45 AM PST by John H K
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To: John H K
Hmmmmmm.
2 posted on 03/22/2002 11:29:05 AM PST by ScreamingFist
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To: John H K
If Mohammed will not come to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed.
3 posted on 03/22/2002 11:29:25 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: John H K
Ashes to ashes. Dust to ...

Rocks!

4 posted on 03/22/2002 11:31:01 AM PST by Southack
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To: Poohbah
"If Mohammed will not come to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed"
Ohhhh, that is sooooo good!
5 posted on 03/22/2002 11:32:46 AM PST by Warren
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To: Poohbah
beat me to it...
6 posted on 03/22/2002 11:36:43 AM PST by null and void
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To: Poohbah
Hmmm. I think this is more a case of dropping the mountain on Mohammed rather than bringing the mountain to Mohammed. It is certainly more satisfying that way.
7 posted on 03/22/2002 11:38:47 AM PST by Billy_bob_bob
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To: Poohbah
LOL! -- Ex-cellent!
8 posted on 03/22/2002 11:42:12 AM PST by lentulusgracchus
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To: John H K
About 10 seconds till some nitwite HR group declares this "inhumane."

Good! Then we'll know we're doing exactly the right thing! Rock on, brothers!

Musta been hell on wheels in the old Al-Q'aeda weenie roast.

9 posted on 03/22/2002 11:43:47 AM PST by lentulusgracchus
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To: Billy_bob_bob
He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." (Matt. 17:20)

OK, so it was a mustard seed the size of a big-ass 2,000 lb bomb. But the mountain did move.

10 posted on 03/22/2002 11:44:14 AM PST by r9etb
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To: John H K
bump
11 posted on 03/22/2002 11:45:22 AM PST by VOA
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To: John H K
If Mohamad can not got to the mountain, than the mountain must come to Mhoamad. ;-)
12 posted on 03/22/2002 11:46:33 AM PST by Zathras
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To: Poohbah
Beautiful!
13 posted on 03/22/2002 11:46:37 AM PST by deadrock
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To: Poohbah
As usual, you da man! Good one! Har, har, har!
14 posted on 03/22/2002 11:54:33 AM PST by Don Carlos
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To: lentulusgracchus
Rock on, brothers!

Heh-heh. Exactly.

15 posted on 03/22/2002 12:05:53 PM PST by Constitutionalist Conservative
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Constitutionalist Conservative
"Rock on, ROCK ON!
Drive them crazi-ah!
No serenade
No fire brigade
Just a PY-ro-man-i-a!"

Thought I'd supply a little Def Leppard...

17 posted on 03/22/2002 12:08:01 PM PST by Poohbah
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To: John H K
Rock-a-bye baby!
18 posted on 03/22/2002 12:13:05 PM PST by usslsm51
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To: Yehuda
I feel the earth move under my feet...
19 posted on 03/22/2002 12:15:02 PM PST by Poohbah
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To: DEADROCK
Saves a bunch of work for the Graves & Burial teams. Makes sense both militarily and financially.
20 posted on 03/22/2002 12:16:30 PM PST by HardStarboard
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