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Iraqi Rebels Refine Bomb Skills

(New York Times) David S. Cloud - American casualties from bomb attacks in Iraq have reached new heights in the last two months as insurgents have begun to deploy devices that leave armored vehicles increasingly vulnerable, according to the U.S. military. There were 700 attacks in May against American forces using improvised explosive devices (IED), which caused 33 American deaths, and there have been at least 35 fatalities so far in June. IEDs account for 70% of American casualties in Iraq. The surge in attacks, the officials say, has coincided with the appearance of significant advancements in bomb design, including the use of "shaped" charges that concentrate the blast and give it a better chance of penetrating armored vehicles. Another change, a senior military officer said, has been the detonation of explosives by infrared lasers, an innovation aimed at bypassing electronic jammers.
2005-06-22 00:00:00
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