Introduction
It is imperative for the U.S government to improve the measures used in effecting the anti-IED efforts so as to mitigate the detrimental repercussions caused by terrorists, through Improvised Explosive Devices, not only at the battlefields but also to the innocent civilians. Insurgent groups all over the world employ the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) as a weapon of premeditated influence. Improvised Explosive Device attacks have been launched in many regions across the country and the globe all over with the aim of attaining political, social, economical and military strategic goals (Burke, 2006).The goals attained through these attacks vary depending on the objective and motivation of various groups behind the attack.
What is worrying is the aftermath of these attacks. A number of innocent civilians have been reported seriously injured with quite a number dead in the process of these attacks. Besides the loss of innocent life through these attacks, a lot of property is damaged as well. The economic and political stability of numerous regions have been shifted through the use of IED attacks. In the U.S alone, the use of these devices has resulted to the loss of innumerable lives as well as destruction of property (Weiss, 2011). It is imperative to note that the psychological impact of IED attacks far outweighs the physical impacts.
The U.S government has several measures in place to counter the effect of Improvised Explosive Devices, not only within the country but also in foreign countries. The continued attacks clearly shows that the current measures needs improvement in order to better address the IED issue at hand. The proliferation of IEDs is fueled by the low-tech gathering requirements and the effortlessness in access to components. The construction of these weapons is made from relatively cheap and commercially available products like acetone, potassium chlorate and ammonium nitrate. Mitigating the use of Improvised Explosive Devices requires multifaceted, concerted, international and cross-jurisdictional efforts.
References
Burke, R. A. (2006). Counter-terrorism for emergency responders. CRC Press.
Weiss, L., Whitaker, E., Briscoe, E., & Trewhitt, E. (2011). Evaluating counter-IED strategies. Defense & Security Analysis, 27(2), 135-147.
