NATO soldiers have to be vigilant for IEDs, a favoured weapon of the Taliban.Jorge Silva/Reuters
From The National Post:
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. -- They are the scourge of Afghanistan, the primitive but powerful bombs that Taliban insurgents plant along roadways to kill Canadian soldiers passing in armoured convoys.
And they are deadly.
Three-quarters of the 34 Canadian troops killed in Afghanistan in the past 12 months have died due to improvised explosive devices, and a government report this week said such attacks have increased since last year.
To counter the Taliban's weapon of choice, the military is spending tens of millions on technological fixes - robots that flail the ground for buried bombs and vehicles that detect explosives up to 100-metres away and destroy them with a laser.
Read more ....
My Comment: In Iraq, special teams were formed to target and stop IED teams from manufacturing and planting their bombs. It took awhile, but these teams became very successful in stopping the main brunt of the attacks.I guess focus and strategy will be needed in Afghanistan .... but does the coalition have enough eyes on the ground to do this work .... unfortunately, I have my doubts.