8/10/2005: IED remote control

Undertoad · 08-10-2005, 11:29 AM

Michael Yon is my hero. Unlike most "journalists" sent to Iraq, Yon has repeatedly embedded himself with the hardest of hardass units in the very worst areas. Getting deep respect and honesty from the grunts because he is really there, really telling their stories, seeing the action live and documenting it as it happens.

Three months ago he shot one of the most remarkable images on IotD ever, the soldier comforting a dying Iraqi girl. Almost every dispatch since then has been positively edge-of-your-seat stuff, the true stories of military life in Iraq.

It's kind of politically neutral, because all Yon does is tell the full story. All sides will find points for their schools of thought. There are remarkable stories of heroism and remarkable stories of pain.

In his latest dispatch (warning, pretty long), called "Jungle Law" for what appears to be in effect in Mosul, he comes within mere seconds of being blown up. The guerillas' tactic: bury a massive bomb in the middle of the road, wait for forces to drive over it, and then blow it up via remote control. The above is such a control, clearly jury-rigged with whatever is available. And here's how you use it:

1) Re-install the AA batteries in the back, 2) Connect the 9-volt battery on the side. 3) Flip the black switch on the side. 4) Press #1 on the weird keypad. 5) Press #7.

When you press 7, the bomb explodes.

Read the full story to find out how they got those instructions.

lawman · 08-10-2005, 12:24 PM

Michael Yon's blog entry is so vivid and well written. It's worth the 5 minutes to read it all. I can't imagine being a reporter volunteering to be in that situation.

Hope he's around for more entries but you never know.

Hobbs · 08-10-2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Yon

AK-monkey-pumpers smack-down.

This guy has already gained my upmost respect!

Bullitt · 08-10-2005, 03:05 PM

That keypad is off of one of those little phones you can wear around the house on your belt. Pretty smart and simple way to make a remote.. not to say that I approve of its intended purpose

xoxoxoBruce · 08-10-2005, 04:10 PM

I don't understand why the 9 volt and extra key pad are added to the phone. Especially if they are close to the recieving phone. I could see the reciever needing extra power to detonate but why the sender?

edit= Yon is a damn fool....I'll send him a check.

Bitman · 08-10-2005, 05:15 PM

Remote control what? How does it .. .. Oh wait, IED. Boy, I was way off.

Anyway, the 9V is for the dialer. They run off phone line voltage; I don't know what that is, but the 3V in radio probly isn't enough.

axlrosen · 11-13-2005, 12:41 PM

Note the message on the screen.

From here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alx/9947474/

Cyclefrance · 08-11-2005, 05:37 AM

IED is Chilling in its relative simplicity - even more so from perspective of recent/current events in London. The downside payment for readily/easily available technology.

LCanal · 08-11-2005, 05:54 AM

I would hazard a quess at the keypad is nothing more than a tone generator. Which somehow triggers the device via the walkie-talkie at the bomb site. One could probably use voice but that would mean anyone talking on the same frquency could.. well you get the picture.

capnhowdy · 08-11-2005, 07:05 AM

the set of radios I have have 22 different freqs to chose from. As few of these that are scattered about, sometimes someone keys up on the freq that I have chosen. (what are the odds of that?) Obviously pretty good. I guess the keypad gives the bomber the little something the other radio owners don't have. Otherwise he may become his own victim. Now THAT WOULD BE COOL.

Undertoad · 08-11-2005, 07:22 AM

According to the dispatch, these particular bombers did become their own victim.

Wretchard at Belmont Club speculates that wasn't just by chance:

Quote:

What Yon omits is as tantalizing as what he describes. A lot is happening offstage that we are not allowed to see; we are given only glimpses. There are staged IED attacks to lure out the enemy into the sights of snipers. The are constant meetings with the Iraqi police whose subject matter is never described. Inexplicable things happen, like the the IED triggerman being taken back to his neighborhood right even while fire is being exchanged at the failed ambush site by Army officers who are certainly too busy to just shoot the breeze or idly wander around town. Bombs are left on the road and just happen to blow up when the insurgents attempt to retrieve them later. Large explosive caches are discovered in ways that are never divulged. A car bomb factory is about to be raided as Yon ends the post, in the cliff-hanger manner of the Republic Serials, and we are left not only to wonder what will happen, but how the raiders came to that very door.

(Speculation alert) We are probably going to have to wait a decade to find out how the battle of Mosul was fought out. But I think it is probable that a large role will have been played by electronic warfare in particular and information warfare in general.

Queen of the Ryche · 08-11-2005, 08:33 AM

Sorry to expose my military ignorance, but what does IED stand for?
(Snarky Cellar-type comments on my lack of knowledge are welcome.)

Bullitt · 08-11-2005, 08:40 AM

Improvised Explosive Device.. pretty much a cheap crude bomb made from whatever explosive materials these guys can find. Old artillery shells, land mines, RPG's, etc.

CharlieG · 08-11-2005, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Queen of the Ryche

Sorry to expose my military ignorance, but what does IED stand for?
(Snarky Cellar-type comments on my lack of knowledge are welcome.)

Improvised Explosive Device as someone else said

Another one you will see is

VBIED - Vehicle Borne IED - aka "car bomb"

And yeah, I'm quite sure the Michael is seeing thing he is NOT talking about - it's called Operational Security, and if he does talk about them he 1)Puts his own life at risk, and 2)He won't be invited to a lot of the places he goes. You have to me amazed at what he does - he basically runs around AS a soldier, without being one, and exposes himself to the very same risks as the guys on the "cutting edge"

Bullitt · 08-11-2005, 08:54 AM

Yeah, the guy def. has my utmost respect

08-10-2005, 03:05 PM	#4
Bullitt This is a fully functional babe lair Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,324	That keypad is off of one of those little phones you can wear around the house on your belt. Pretty smart and simple way to make a remote.. not to say that I approve of its intended purpose __________________ Kiss my white Irish ass.

08-10-2005, 04:10 PM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I don't understand why the 9 volt and extra key pad are added to the phone. Especially if they are close to the recieving phone. I could see the reciever needing extra power to detonate but why the sender? edit= Yon is a damn fool....I'll send him a check. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. Last edited by xoxoxoBruce; 08-10-2005 at 04:12 PM.

08-11-2005, 05:54 AM	#9
LCanal I hope to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sumatra Posts: 257	I would hazard a quess at the keypad is nothing more than a tone generator. Which somehow triggers the device via the walkie-talkie at the bomb site. One could probably use voice but that would mean anyone talking on the same frquency could.. well you get the picture. __________________ "Happiness is like sex. In order to get any good out of it, you have to give it to someone else."

08-11-2005, 07:05 AM	#10
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	the set of radios I have have 22 different freqs to chose from. As few of these that are scattered about, sometimes someone keys up on the freq that I have chosen. (what are the odds of that?) Obviously pretty good. I guess the keypad gives the bomber the little something the other radio owners don't have. Otherwise he may become his own victim. Now THAT WOULD BE COOL. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

08-11-2005, 08:33 AM	#12
Queen of the Ryche is fleeing the scene Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Beautiful CO Posts: 1,510	Sorry to expose my military ignorance, but what does IED stand for? (Snarky Cellar-type comments on my lack of knowledge are welcome.) __________________ Once, in an interview, Chuck Norris admitted that he was not the most awesome thing ever. He declined to elaborate; but I believe we all know that he was referring to the existence of chocolate covered bacon. I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.

08-10-2005, 11:29 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	8/10/2005: IED remote control Michael Yon is my hero. Unlike most "journalists" sent to Iraq, Yon has repeatedly embedded himself with the hardest of hardass units in the very worst areas. Getting deep respect and honesty from the grunts because he is really there, really telling their stories, seeing the action live and documenting it as it happens. Three months ago he shot one of the most remarkable images on IotD ever, the soldier comforting a dying Iraqi girl. Almost every dispatch since then has been positively edge-of-your-seat stuff, the true stories of military life in Iraq. It's kind of politically neutral, because all Yon does is tell the full story. All sides will find points for their schools of thought. There are remarkable stories of heroism and remarkable stories of pain. In his latest dispatch (warning, pretty long), called "Jungle Law" for what appears to be in effect in Mosul, he comes within mere seconds of being blown up. The guerillas' tactic: bury a massive bomb in the middle of the road, wait for forces to drive over it, and then blow it up via remote control. The above is such a control, clearly jury-rigged with whatever is available. And here's how you use it: 1) Re-install the AA batteries in the back, 2) Connect the 9-volt battery on the side. 3) Flip the black switch on the side. 4) Press #1 on the weird keypad. 5) Press #7. When you press 7, the bomb explodes. Read the full story to find out how they got those instructions.

08-10-2005, 12:24 PM	#2
lawman unerringly questioning Join Date: May 2002 Location: Whitehorse, Yukon Posts: 100	Michael Yon's blog entry is so vivid and well written. It's worth the 5 minutes to read it all. I can't imagine being a reporter volunteering to be in that situation. Hope he's around for more entries but you never know.

08-10-2005, 05:15 PM	#6
Bitman cellar smellar Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: californy, baby! Posts: 403	Remote control what? How does it .. .. Oh wait, IED. Boy, I was way off. Anyway, the 9V is for the dialer. They run off phone line voltage; I don't know what that is, but the 3V in radio probly isn't enough.

11-13-2005, 12:41 PM	#7
axlrosen Major Inhabitant Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 125	Another trigger Note the message on the screen. From here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alx/9947474/ Attached Images

08-11-2005, 05:37 AM	#8
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	IED is Chilling in its relative simplicity - even more so from perspective of recent/current events in London. The downside payment for readily/easily available technology.

08-11-2005, 08:40 AM	#13
Bullitt This is a fully functional babe lair Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,324	Improvised Explosive Device.. pretty much a cheap crude bomb made from whatever explosive materials these guys can find. Old artillery shells, land mines, RPG's, etc. __________________ Kiss my white Irish ass.

08-11-2005, 08:54 AM	#15
Bullitt This is a fully functional babe lair Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,324	Yeah, the guy def. has my utmost respect __________________ Kiss my white Irish ass.

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