Roadside Bombs & IEDs (catch all)

[Infanteer]

I suspect going after IEDs is a lot like going after pirates, in that if you are looking on the roads and the high seas you are going after the symptoms and not the roots of your problem. There are key nodes to IED networks that must be ID'd and reduced or mitigated, and they are in the neighboring towns and extend into Pakistan and Iran. Similarly pirates are probably more effectively dealt with on land than at sea. We just need to step back from the problem far enough to see the solution.

I agree with you. We could wack IED makers and emplacers until the cows come home. Getting rid of IEDs is essentially getting rid of "ambushes".

In a small town, small town people pay attention to strange people (local or not) doing strange things. Small town people talk lots. Think of your own neigbourhood. If something out of place was on your street or backyard, you'd have a good idea that something was up. Small town people also generally know what goes on around their village - especially on the areas they frequently traffic (which are also areas you usually frequently traffic). They just have to be convinced to come forward with that information.

[davidbfpo]

From Bob's World above:

Probably the most effective LOO for reducing IEDs is to be much more aggressive in our IO campaigns, locally and globally, challenging the manhood of any Pashtun who would let an IED do his fighting for him. We cannot underestimate the power of the offensive warrior culture on these people. Sneaky defensive tactics are beneath them. We need to rub that in their faces.

Bob,

From this faraway armchair this LOO (method) is not effective. Frontier warfare in the Imperial era was rarely a "stand up" fight, ambushes were favoured, albeit with rifle fire, not IEDs (although I think they were used) and within the Pashtun culture is are such 'sneaky tactics' contrary to their culture? My reading is that they are not. Add in the Soviet experience and the apparent success in the use of IEDs - hardly a good starting point for an IO campaign.

I anticipate some of those with real experience may be restrained from comment.

[Infanteer]

From this faraway armchair this LOO (method) is not effective.

Actually, you'd be surprised.