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Afghanistan: Allies recover cache of bomb making materials

by Mritunjay | November 10, 2009 at 01:42 pm

182 views | 34 Recommendations | 10 comments

After the recent spate of attacks on the ally forces led by U.S in Afghanistan primarily using homemade bombs that used substances like fertilizers, the NATO forces have started a new hunt for such materials.

In a pair of raids on Sunday, Afghan police and American soldiers discovered a half-million pounds of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer that is used in the overwhelming majority of homemade bombs here. Some 2,000 bomb-making devices like timers and triggers were also found, and 15 Afghans were detained.

With a typical homemade bomb weighing no more than 60 pounds, the seizure of that much fertilizer — more than 10 tractor-trailer loads — removed potentially thousands of bombs from the streets and trails of southern Afghanistan, officials said.

“You can turn a bag of ammonium nitrate into a bomb in a matter hours,” said Col. Mark Lee, who heads NATO’s effort to stop the bombmakers in southern Afghanistan. “This is a great first step.”

The operation is being run in the city of Kandahar which has witnessed much bloodshed in the recent past. Use of ammonium nitrate is illegal in Afghanistan; though the farmers are allowed to use other types, like urea-based fertilizer, for agricultural purposes. Most of the ammonium nitrate fertilizer in Afghanistan is believed to be imported from Pakistan.

The Oklahoma bombings in 1995 had used 600-pounds of ammonium nitrate mixed with other fuels resulting in death of 168 people. The cuurent raids are aimed to take away the substance from talibani insurgents.

The use of homemade bombs, the leading killer of American and NATO soldiers, has been skyrocketing. Last year, 4,100 bombs either exploded or were discovered beforehand in Afghanistan. So far this year, 6,500 bombs have either been found or have gone off, military officials in Kabul said.

While the forces are still removing the seized substances, reports indicated that so far they had filled ten 40-foot long shipping containers with the stuff.

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a211423

at 14:08 on November 10th, 2009

I am glad the ammonium nitrate was confiscated. I would like to know where it came from, i.e., which manufacterer produced it, and how it got to Afghanistan.

If a American company is a producer of this substance should their national and international trading contracts be handled with this material being a controlled substance, therefore, regulated and controlled?

YankeeJim

at 14:18 on November 10th, 2009

Don't be surprised if the ammonium nitrate was made by American technology or supplier.

YankeeJim

at 14:14 on November 10th, 2009

What are the sources of this and other materials? Who are producing it? What is the delivery channel? When we can trace it to the source, we can defeat the enemy.

Mritunjay

at 14:24 on November 10th, 2009

Thanks you all for reading, recommendinga nd commenting.

To the point of who the manufacturer and supplier is...as the report points: "Most of the ammonium nitrate fertilizer in Afghanistan is believed to be imported from Pakistan."

Now the same people who are allies are supplying the stuff...maybe not for making bombs but for agriculture but then isn't it time that such trade be halted which is taking toll on forces and civilians.

YankeeJim

at 17:56 on November 10th, 2009

More bad news. The case against Pakistan mounts.

a211423

at 15:33 on November 10th, 2009

It might have been from Pakistan, but WHO is making the stuff. There must be a money trail back to the manufacterer. I am not suggestion that supplies for agriculture be halted, but the supplies can certainly be regulated based on need.

I remember a story about some narcotic medication. I think it was seconal or some other narcotic. It was discovered that the manufacterers were producing ten times the amount actually needed to supply the medication needs of the country. So where was the rest of it going? To the illegal marketing of narcotics.

I am just suggesting that a similar situation might be occuring with ammonium nitrate. Calculations of agricultural needs is not difficult, and a determination could be made about whether manufacterers are over producting for some other market.

Mritunjay

at 16:39 on November 10th, 2009

I completely agree to the point.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 17:27 on November 10th, 2009

The stuff is not too well controlled in North America either. All you need for any kind of agricultural chemical is a land description where u are using it. I imagine that would even be more difficult in Pakistan.

Short of having someone accompany the buyer from the time it;s bought until it is used, it would be a nightmare to control.