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| Afghanistan |
| To stop Afghan bombs, a focus on Pakistani fertilizer |
| 2011-11-26 |
| To grasp the severity of Lt. Gen. Michael D. Barbero’s $40-fertilizer-bomb problem, it helps to consider some much bigger numbers. Barbero heads a U.S. military command, with an annual budget of about $2.8 billion, that was created to stem U.S. casualties from insurgent bombs. In just the past few months, he has shelled out $24 million for a new hand-held ground-penetrating radar, $33 million for mini-surveillance robots and $19 million for bomb-resistant underwear. The insurgent’s weapon of choice in Afghanistan is at the other end of the price spectrum: a plastic jug filled with ammonium nitrate fertilizer. So far this year, these cheap, hard-to-detect bombs have wounded about 3,200 U.S. soldiers and Marines, up 22 percent from 2010, according to the Pentagon. “We are sweeping more and more of this stuff off the battlefield,” Barbero said of the fertilizer bombs. “But it just keeps coming, and it keeps growing.” |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #4 Making ammonium nitrate is chemically simple, but technologically hard. I imagine that Pakistani producers don't have a very impressive profit margin, so could be easily convinced to add some additives provided by the US to neutralize any use of it for explosives. And then monitor the factory and company to see who calls to complain. And it could also be taken to a higher level. If the fertilizer company doesn't want to play ball, arrange a purchaser who will not only buy the company, but increase production, to flood the market with cheap fertilizer. If you have to go to that much trouble, you should add an encapsulated second additive to the fertilizer that is an herbicide specific to poppies. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-11-26 09:08 |
| #3 How to get Pakiwakilands' to do so? Easy-peasy, send them bigger bribes. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-11-26 08:04 |
| #2 First they fight "terrorism" instead of fighting Islam. Next they fight fertilizer instead of fighting bomb makers. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-11-26 04:41 |
| #1 In the US now most fertilizer is being modified to, in the main, fizzle.... How to get Pakiwakilands' to do so? |
| Posted by: Water Modem 2011-11-26 03:18 |