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


pb

Los Angeles Is On Shakey Ground; Literally and Economically

All three of our largest cities -- Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles -- are currently walking a fine line between solvency and bankruptcy.  While all three cities must better manage their finances in order to avoid looking like the Godzilla of all bankruptcies in comparison to, say, Detroit, Los Angeles has an added difficulty to contend with: A Possible Mega-Sized Earthquake. 

Right now, the series of earthquakes near Los Angeles have mostly resulted in minor damage; although, some homes have actually been structurally condemned.  But, what if a 6.7 quake or higher hit the city?  The damage could be massive.  Just as it was when a 6.7 hit the Northridge area in 1994.  That quake caused $25 billion in damages in a somewhat smaller and must less densely populated area of  Los Angeles.  But, the current activity is on a little known Puenta Hills Fault which extends through downtown L.A. and into Hollywood. Between a tangle of overpasses, high rises, and older buildings, the toll in lives and damage could be many times greater than what Northridge and other surrounding communities experienced.

If such an event did hit the heart of L.A., police, fire, and most city workers would all be called into action.  There could be serious damage to many civilian and municipal buildings, city roads and bridges.  The cost could literally tip the city into bankruptcy almost instantaneously; and, certainly a lot earlier than the estimated 2 to 3 years that lawmakers had "thought" they had left to fix their financial woes.  If it is hastened by an earthquake, the city managers have only themselves to blame. For years, they've dallied while, all along, bankruptcy was staring them right in the face.

References:

Three Huge Cities Flirting With Bankruptcy: http://money.msn.com/investing/post--3-huge-cities-flirting-with-bankruptcy

1994 Northridge Earthquake: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Northridge_earthquake

Major quake on Puente Hills thrust fault could be worse than San Andreas: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/03/30/Major-quake-on-Puente-Hills-thrust-fault-could-be-worse-than-San-Andreas/7831396195031/