IEDs top artillery as biggest battlefield killer, general says
Often assembled under modest conditions and with simple parts, improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, have now surpassed artillery as the biggest killer on today's battlefield, according to the U.S. general charged with leading the organization that seeks to neutralize IEDs.
Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Barbero called the crude contraptions a "global and enduring threat," according to an article by AOL Defense. Barbero estimates that 60 percent of the casualties suffered by international coalition forces in Afghanistan are caused by IEDs. On the positive side, Barbero said, more of the devices are being found and cleared before they explode.
Barbero, who heads the Joint IED Defeat Organization, ackowledged in the AOL article that the devices are beginning to be used in domestic cases, citing the Aurora, Colo., massacre in June. But it's not being used only in the States. Barbero spoke of attacks in Europe, Latin America and Africa as well.
Source: AOL Defense
