Posted on 06/07/2016 9:24:41 AM PDT by Elderberry
Islamic State militants have not only stolen a majority of the military Humvees provided to the Iraq Security Forces (ISF) by the U.S., they are now re-purposing them into car bombs.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi confirmed that 2,300 are in ISIS hands, more than 2/3 of all Humvees provided to Iraq by the U.S. Most were stolen after the terrorist group captured the Iraqi city of Mosul in June 2014.
While the vehicles were designed as a fast means to carry U.S. personnel and their supplies into battle, it turns out they are even better suited to be used as car bombs, or vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs).
“There’s a simple reason the militants are using Humvees and other armored vehicles as rolling bombs,” reported Foreign Policy’s Sean Naylor Saturday. “Their protective armored plating prevents defenders from killing the trucks’ drivers before the militants can detonate their loads, while the vehicles’ capacity to carry enormous amounts of weight means the Islamic State can sometimes pack in a ton of explosives.”
ISIS has used the Humvee car bomb as a mainstay in its military tactics, sending waves of them at key enemy locations prior to assaulting the position with ground fighters. The weapons are so devastating that some of them carry explosive power comparable to the device used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.
Unfortunately, ISF personnel and the Kurdish Peshmerga are often unprepared to counter the Humvee bomb threat, given that they sometimes like the anti-tank weaponry required to neutralize the vehicles. The U.S. outfitted the Peshmerga with 1,000 AT-4 anti-tank launchers last year, and plans to send 2,000 to the ISF. Germany has provided the Peshmerga with the Milan guided missile, which has also been proven effective against the Humvee bombs. The weapon has been so popular, one Kurdish family even named their child after the weapon.
Not so much for mines, but the windshields, windows, doors and seat backs were armored.
Just like SE Asia, we pulled out early and in doing so created a fricking mess. Obama is the new Demonrat Congress/Carter.
No way! The new humvees are only for Al Qaeda in Syria! Obama and McCain are quite sure about that.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi confirmed that 2,300 are in ISIS hands, more than 2/3 of all Humvees provided to Iraq by the U.S. Most were stolen after the terrorist group captured the Iraqi city of Mosul in June 2014.There's a really reasonably priced long-term parking garage there, I'm guessin'.
I suppose your opinion is based upon facts? Why is ISIS driving around in vehicles supplied by US? Why do we leaflet their oil caravans giving them warning of impending attacks? Why did we drop at least 2 confirmed dumps of weapons, food and medical supplies to them? Why did our govt throw a tizzy fit when Russia decided to attack them? ISIS is a proxy army of the US government. Just as Assad is a proxy of Russia. The battle is on between us and them, and we are both using terrorists. How long should it take to destroy an “army” of 10,000? Another 14 years I suppose.... we have met the enemy, and he is us.....
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