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An Improvised Explosive Device detonates, but lets turn back the clock. To reach this
point has required an entire network of financiers, bomb makers, recruiters and emplacers. If
this network can be disrupted then this threat can be reduced.
One of the ways the network can be attacked is to gather evidence and intelligence at
the scene of IED. That's why a new NATO course has been set up in Hungary to train Weapons
Intelligence Teams.
"I suppose you could break it down into two different parts. First of all we try and think
about the tactical side, of tactically why this has happened, why we were attacked, what
mistakes did we make, what did the enemy do to attack us. And the second part adds onto
it in being the technical part, what actual evidence we can get, what type of device it
was and maybe forensics that may help us in a court of law to try and catch the person
that's done this."
Once the scene has been made safe a Weapons Intelligence, or WIT Team, can start to investigate.
IEDs have caused nearly 70 per cent of the casualties to ISAF forces in Afghanistan,
which is why NATO has made counter IED work a priority.
"The Secretary General of NATO directed that he wanted a counter IED action plan put together
which came to Allied Command Transformation to develop that plan in conjunction and coordination
with all of the NATO commands. We came together and produced that action plan and one part
of the action plan under education and training is what you're seeing here today with the
Weapons Intelligence Training course which is a great success story for NATO in that
it shows the commitment of NATO nations to support ISAF and the development of NATO capabilities."
This new course, run at Hungary's Central Training Base near Budapest has gathered a
range of nationalities together.
Hungary's own operational experience was behind the decision to host the first course.
"Until now the Hungarian Defence Force has lost five Hungarian soldiers. Actually one
hundred percent of the fallen soldiers were caused by IEDs, one in Iraq and four in Afghanistan
and after the first C-IED event in Szentendrei, we recognised and we sent our recommendations
to the General Staff and we started to recognise the importance of countering Improvised Explosive
Devices."
IEDs come in a variety of different forms from command wire, to radio controlled and
victim operated. The parts that go into the construction of the device and the way it's
been assembled all can prove vital in efforts to trace the people responsible.
The students on the course are run through a series of realistic scenarios which allow
them to analyse a scene drawing conclusion on the nature of the device, collecting evidence
and taking photos.
While a civilian police team may get hours to investigate a crime scene, the dangers
of operating in Afghanistan mean that time on the ground can be very restricted.
"Usually you don't have much time because probably you are in a troops in combat incident
so you can't spend more than thirty minutes. So it's better to be well trained, so when
you are in a real situation you have to do the same things as here, but of course quicker."
Once collected the evidence can then be passed on to laboratories for further, more complex
analysis including DNA testing and fingerprint analysis.
The training culminates in several explosions on the weapons range, creating as realistic
a scenario as possible.
"Before I came here I've heard about the IEDs itself and I know what should we look for
on the scenes. But now I understand how does it work, an IED itself so it's a very good
experience for me."
Half of the students on this first course will be deployed to Afghanistan working on
the ground to combat IEDs, whilst the others will pass their knowledge onto their colleague
back home, increasing the number of NATO personel able to carry out these vital investigations.
This is David Heathfield, in Hungary, for Natochannel.