Simple, deadly terror of IEDs
'Mission Ops': a scary look at improvised explosive devices and terrorism.
By Tony Perry, Times Staff Writer
For a frightening assessment of the Iraq war, and of the chances that terrorist
violence could erupt in the United States, it's hard to beat "Mission Ops:
Assignment IEDs" on the Discovery Times Channel.
Terrorism expert Peter Bergen traces the development of the improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) that have become the weapon of choice of insurgents in
killing American troops and Iraqi civilians.
Such roadside bombs — easy and cheap to make — are a deadly equalizer between a
modern military and an ad hoc force of jihadists, supra-nationalists and others.
To press his case, Bergen rallies explosive experts and video clips of IED
attacks in Iraq (often posted on insurgent-friendly websites), and he walks
through Manhattan to suggest that the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were only the
beginning.
The presentation may be a bit breathless but the message, serious and
well-reported, is worth the jazziness.
IEDs, by different names, have long been used by guerrillas and outnumbered
forces. The documentary mentions the Shining Path rebels in Peru, the Tamil
Tigers of Sri Lanka and the Irish Republican Army. Others have pointed to their
use by the Confederate Army to slow Sherman 's march to the sea.
Whatever the name, there is little dispute, as Bergen notes, that the
insurgents in Iraq have perfected their use "to an unprecedented level" by
making ever smaller and more damaging versions and concocting more complex
sequences of explosions.
The United States has spent billions on anti-IED technology and personal
protective gear, but IEDs still kill more American troops than any other weapon.
Many of the explosives come from the enormous stockpiles left by Saddam
Hussein. The U.S. was slow to secure all the caches and looting was rampant. For
detonators, egg timers and cellphones are popular.
"That's all it is: simple household devices used for the wrong purposes," says
retired Army explosive specialist Brian Doyne, who lost an eye and a hand in an
IED attack.
"Mission Ops" says that, having learned the IED trade in Iraq, insurgents are
now flocking to Afghanistan to kill Western troops there.
On the issue of whether there are sleeper cells in the U.S. ready to begin a
terror campaign, Bergen says it's highly possible.
If there is a ray of light in Bergen's report — and admittedly the ray is milky
and heavily hidden — it is that the technology developed for Iraq and
Afghanistan may help the U.S. to detect and deter IED attacks here. Think of it
as a mini-version of the Cold War arms race.
"The IED bombers of the world are not sitting still," says Bergen, as he
strolls near New York's Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.
tony.perry@latimes.com
"Mission Ops: Assignments IEDs'
Where: Discovery Times Channel
When: 7 and 10 tonight
Rating: TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children)
