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Officials: No need for Trump's approval to use massive bomb
WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. commander in Afghanistan who ordered use of the "mother of all bombs" to attack an Islamic State stronghold didn't need President Donald Trump's approval, Pentagon officials said Friday.
The officials said Gen. John Nicholson has standing authority to use the bomb, which is officially called the Massive Ordnance Air Burst bomb, or MOAB, the largest non-nuclear bomb ever dropped in combat. The bomb had been in Afghanistan since January.
The officials weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and requested anonymity.
The bomb's use has attracted enormous attention, but its aim in Thursday's attack was relatively mundane by military standards: destroy a tunnel and cave complex used by Islamic State fighters in a remote mountainous area of eastern Afghanistan.
Nicholson had a secondary goal in mind, however, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal matters. The official said Nicholson wanted to demonstrate to leaders of the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan the seriousness of his determination to eliminate the group as a military threat.
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20170414/73584c98-e730-49c4-ad6e-3c5d792bdf26
Chasstev365
(5,191 posts)atreides1
(16,094 posts)Congress won't be the ones coming home in body bags!
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)and didn't get to use it until now.
This Nicholson must be a stupid as tRump. He used a bomb meant to cause above ground destruction in order to take out a tunnel complex. Of course, a bunker buster would not have thrown up a huge cloud for everyone to see.
hack89
(39,171 posts)the overpressure from such an explosion would penetrate deep into the complex.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)But it wasn't the latest toy. Sorry, but you will never convince me that the major reason why the MOAB was used was because it created a spectacle, both in its detonation and in the fact that it was the biggest-that-had-never-been-used. Nicholson admitted as much. Using the largest conventional bomb was meant to show everyone how determined we are.
hack89
(39,171 posts)If the tunnels are carved horizontally into the mountains than we are possibly talking about hundreds of feet of solid rock - no bunker buster will be able to penetrate that. You would need a weapon that would create horizontal damage so the force of the explosion would enter the caves/tunnel entrances.
But I also agree with you about the desire to put on a spectacle. One should never underestimate the psychological aspects of war.
MiniMe
(21,719 posts)hack89
(39,171 posts)and I don't see how using a big bomb in a remote area of Afghanistan is something that requires the president's permission.
brooklynite
(94,792 posts)If they hadn't announced the size (likely for foreign propaganda purposes), it wouldn't have been an issue.
global1
(25,285 posts)he'll take the credit. If they screw up - he has them to blame. Win-win for Trump.