Dropping large non-nuclear bomb on ISIS tunnels unlikely to significantly influence long-term fight, researcher says


Thu, 04/13/2017

author

George Diepenbrock

LAWRENCE — The U.S. military on Thursday dropped one of the largest non-nuclear bombs in its arsenal, targeting Islamic State caves in Afghanistan.

A University of Kansas researcher who studies terrorism and extremist groups said while the tactic could be effective for remote caves, the bombing would not likely influence long-term operations against the Islamic State because so many ISIS forces are in populated areas.

Don Haider-Markel, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, can discuss issues surrounding the U.S. and allies combating ISIS. His research includes terrorism, extremist groups, public policy and American politics.

"Considering that most of ISIS forces are in areas with civilians, we can't use this type of weapon there," Haider-Markel said. "It was probably effective for caves. There must have been a fair number of fighters in the area and no friendly forces."

Thu, 04/13/2017

author

George Diepenbrock

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George Diepenbrock

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