After Action Report: Enemy Activity Trends

1. Improvised explosive devices shifting from artillery shells to ammonium nitrate charges. Insurgents mix fertilizer with diesel fuel and pack the resulting explosive compound into plastic sacks. The devices have few metal components, making them difficult to detect.

2. New coalition jamming devices increasingly effective at defeating remote detonators. As a result, cellular phone and radio-based initiators increasingly rare.

3. Anti-Iraqi Forces shifting from remote detonation to victim-­operated triggers. Insurgents construct pressure plates from two or more metallic leads, designed to compress under the weight of a coalition vehicle. Compression of metallic leads completes the circuit and allows voltage from a battery to activate denotation cord.

4. A washing machine timer often provides a circuit break between the trigger and the battery. This technique allows insurgents to plant a device and withdraw to a safe distance before the device is effectively armed.

Respectfully submitted,

P. E. Donovan