The enemy in Iraq is proving to be very adaptable, especially with the critical help of a nearby sanctuary.
The car bombs killing troops and civilians in Iraq have grown more sophisticated as insurgents gain training and financing across the border in Syria, defense officials say.The officials estimate that improvised explosive devices (IEDs), both roadside and car-borne, now account for 50 percent of all daily attacks, or "contacts," in Iraq.
When the IED attacks began in full force in late 2003, most bombs were made of artillery and mortar shells. But lately, the coalition is discovering more sophisticated bombs made of a mix of explosives, some of which include penetrating warheads to kill people inside buildings.
At the Pentagon, an Army-led task force is working to come up with ways to defeat the systems, but so far the insurgents are finding new technologies and tactics to stay one step ahead.
"There's not going to be a silver bullet," said one defense official assigned to the problem. "It's going to be a combination of technology, jammers and intelligence to find the bomb makers."
One problem, this source says, is that some of the financing to buy bomb parts and bomb-making training is going on in Syria, effectively giving the terrorists a sanctuary.
"We know they are training in Syria because they have no threat of being picked up," said the official, who asked not to be named.
The suicide car bombings are considered the work of foreign jihadists, most of whom enter Iraq through Syria. "We believe all of them are foreigners, not Iraqis," a second defense official said.
The jihadists are recruited by al Qaeda in Iraq, led by Jordanian-born terror chief Abu Musab Zarqawi. They train in Syria and Iraq, then are assigned missions.
A recent casualty from Texas was only a few hours away from coming home. That makes the tragedy even harder.
A day before he was scheduled to return from Iraq, Army Sgt. Roberto Arizola Jr. was killed when a device exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad.Posted by Alan at June 12, 2005 08:21 AMArizola, 31, of Laredo, was killed Wednesday by the roadside bomb. He had been a border patrol agent in Laredo before being sent to Iraq.
"We just can't believe it was his last day there," said his mother, Cecilia Arizola. "He was a good person."
Cecilia Arizola remembered her son as a loving father and husband who liked to play video games and sports with his 7-year-old son. His wife, Monica, and the rest of his family had postponed a birthday party for his son until he returned home.