Where they learned to kill

BY MOHAMAD BAZZI | MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT

March 5, 2006

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Among the many sources of inspiration for Iraq's insurgents are battlefield tactics pioneered by the Lebanese group Hezbollah during its 18-year guerrilla war with Israel, security officials say.

Iraqi guerrillas are likely studying Hezbollah techniques in building roadside bombs and carrying out sophisticated ambushes through the dozens of videotapes and pamphlets produced by the Shia Muslim group in the 1990s. Israeli troops withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000, after a 22-year occupation. The Israelis pulled out largely because of losses they sustained during Hezbollah's insurgency, which began in 1982.

"If you look at how the Iraqi techniques have evolved, you can see that they studied Hezbollah's methods," said a Lebanese security official who asked not to be identified. "They are adapting Hezbollah techniques to the Iraqi environment."

According to Iraqi and Lebanese officials, some of the Hezbollah tactics being used by Iraqi insurgents include:

Stacked mines. In August, a huge explosion destroyed a 25-ton armored U.S. troop carrier as it drove in a convoy near the western Iraqi town of Haditha, killing all 14 Marines inside. The bomb consisted of three anti-tank mines stacked on top of each other. That stacking technique was used often by Hezbollah to destroy armored Israeli vehicles.

Shaped charges. These are powerful explosives that have been used extensively against U.S. forces since early 2005. The devices combine an explosive charge with a curved chunk of metal such as copper. When the blast occurs, it shapes the metal into a molten slug that can penetrate armor.

Hidden roadside bombs. Hezbollah refined the practice of concealing bombs so they would be more difficult to clear off the sides of roads by Israeli bulldozers. For example, Hezbollah fighters placed explosives inside fake plastic rocks, which could be bought in Beirut garden stores for about $10. They also buried bombs under gravel or asphalt. Both methods are being used now against U.S. troops in Iraq.