An Iraq mercenary reports checkpoint enforcement is down & shape charges are more dangerous [View All]

[populistdriven]

Through word of mouth: After 2 years he has quit and has come home for good - He had just returned to Iraq 2 weeks ago after a 1 month vaction. Says checkpoints are leaky as hell or not enforced and the IEDs are far, far more dangerous - they have perfected shape charges - none of the widely used convoy armor we use can withstand it. Says the success rate used to be pretty low - that IEDs were a threat but the odds were 1 in 10 or less of a successful attack. Now its much more dangerous because the number of attacks has gone up. That this all changed since roughly October 1st.

Has anyone else heard similar in the last couple weeks?

/edit just to clarify - His emphasis was on the checkpoints - the shape charges has been gradually becoming more and more dangerous in '06 and the recent change was enforcement and inspection of vehicles - that is allowing insurgents to move around more easily thus making it much more dangerous for convoys in the last several weeks.