E Afghans Rush to Learn Risky Art of Defusing Bombs |
Military.com  Afghans Rush to Learn Risky Art of Defusing Bombs
Afghan Bomb Disposal  CAMP BLACK HORSE, Afghanistan - In a
desolate field outside Kabul, an Afghan soldier hunches over a
knee-high robot equipped with cameras, multidirectional pincers
and tank-treads built for rough terrain. Carefully, he attaches
four bottles of water and a tiny explosive charge to the robot.
He uses a remote control to guide it 50 meters (yards) away to
his target: a simulated backpack bomb.  "Explosion! Explosion!
Explosion!" shouts the soldier, Naqibullah Qarizada, in a
warning to others nearby. Then he remotely detonates the charge.
A small dust cloud kicks up. If all has gone well, the blast has
pushed the water into the bomb with enough force to knock out
its triggering mechanism. But to be safe, his partner,
Hayatullah, climbs into a heavy protective suit before lumbering
over to pluck out the blasting cap and seal it in a fortified
box.  The two men are among hund