Free Republic

<p>Weapon: An inspired team of scientists in Maryland rushed to build a device that could wipe out the mountain hideouts of Taliban and al-Qaida forces.</p> <p>Destruction of the cave's mouth was frighteningly complete. The bomb had skipped through the entrance and erupted in a violent spray of jagged steel, blasting the walls and floor into dust. Where there was wood, suddenly just ash and vapor.</p>

04/09/02 - WASHINGTON -- Despite reports to the contrary, defense officials said they have not violated the law of armed conflict during the war on terrorism. Some media organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, have questioned the Air Force’s use of the BLU-118/B “thermobaric” bomb on March 5 against al-Qaida fighters in a cave near Gardez, Afghanistan. Critics have claimed the bomb qualifies as a weapon of mass destruction because it is designed to detonate in two stages. That claim is untrue, officials said. The design of the BLU-118 allows for greater internal blast effectiveness, said Lt. Col. Thomas Ward, program...