Why "The Mother of All Bombs" Wasn't Used Before

When the so-called "Mother of all Bombs" or "MOAB" was unleashed in a remote area of Afghanistan recently, some questioned why it hadn't been used before.  The simple fact is that the MOAB is an obliteration bomb; leveling everything in its blast radius.  Its predecessor was the "Daisy Cutter" that weighed a mere 15,000 pounds compared to the "MOAB" that weighs nearly 22,000.

The "Daisy Cutter" was originally developed for use in Vietnam to clear landing areas for troop transport helicopters as shown in this picture:

Can you imagine what impact that bomb would have on any human within its 5,000 to 5,500 blast area if trees can be obliterated in this fashion?  And, that's the problem.  As a result of the later use of this bomb as part of an intimidation program where, in some cases, civilian populations were maimed and killed,  the Geneva Convention was modified in 1977 to make its use against civilians a war crime.  This along with carpet bombing and all forms of area bombing where there could be concentrations of civilians.

Thus, a bomb like the "MOAB" is restricted to remote areas where civilians can't be harmed to avoid committing war crimes under the Geneva Conventions, to which the U.S. is a signatory.

One last thing. Because the "MOAB" detonates above ground and is not intended to create a cratering of the ground, some question its recent use against ISIS tunnels in Afghanistan, and I agree.  We have massive earthquake bombs that would more easily and effectively cause tunnels to collapse.  We currently have a 30,000 "Massive Ordnance Penetrator" at are disposal for this very purpose.  We also used smaller 5,000 pound earthquake bombs during the first Gulf War to destroy tunnel systems and underground complexes near Baghdad. So, this leads me to think that the real purpose for using the "MOAB" was more about intimidation rather than the destruction of a network of tunnels.

References:

Source of Photo: http://www.psywarrior.com/Blu82HeloLanding.jpg

THE United States has dropped a Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb – the largest non-nuclear weapon in its arsenal – on an ISIS tunnel target in Afghanistan: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/605389/US-non-nuclear-bomb-Massive-Ordnance-Air-Blast-Bomb-ISIS-tunnel-Afghanistan

Daisy Cutter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLU-82

Carpet Bombing, Obliteration Bombing: Geneva Convention: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpet_bombing

Earthquake Bombs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_bomb


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1,2,3,What Are We Fighting For?

I was scanning the Drudge Report headlines and I ran into this story: "Morale dips for American marines in Afghanistan". When I read it, I couldn't help thinking about the de facto theme song of Woodstock, sung by Country Joe and the Fish, that went like this:

And its one, two, three, what are we fighting for?
Don't ask me I don't give a damn, next stop is Vietnam.
And its five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
Ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die.

The only difference between then and now is that you can swap the word Vietnam with Afghanistan.

It seems like the whole objective of the Afghanistan war has changed since Obama took office. Even the national polls are reflecting a dissatisfaction with this war. Almost overnight, it is as if we went from wanting to be a victor to just wanting to get the hell out. And, I'm not sure why.

I realize that the Taliban have been winning some victories and our troops have sustained casualties. But, wars are like that. Sometimes it can look the darkest before things turnaround. Just look at Iraq.

We lost Vietnam because of a lack of commitment. Now, the same seems to be happening in Afghanistan. But, what is really strange is that Iraq and Afghanistan have literally swapped roles. Just two years ago, Iraq was looking like a quagmire and it was Afghanistan that seemed more under control. Now, I am believing, more and more, that we will leave Afghanistan in much the same way we left Vietnam. And, that's very sad.

A Day To Remember

As a country, we have set aside one day a year in the memory of our fallen troops. That day is today...Memorial Day. While it has become a day of family barbeque's and other outdoor events, we must never forget that our ability to celebrate anything is due to the ultimate sacrifices of our military. Our fallen heroes began to accumulate at the birth of this nation in our Revolutionary War that began in 1775. They continue to fall, to this day, in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Hopefully, their efforts to make us all safe, including those throughout the world who are less able to protect and defend themselves, will never go without our deepest thanks and the appreciation of all those beyond our shores who they have defended and protected and died for.

May God and our country always protect and save our troops.