New York: Warning Iraq of the deadly firepower possessed by America, the US military
has tested what has been dubbed as "the mother of all bombs" – a 21,000-pound
device – whose explosion could be heard as far as 30 kms away.
The bomb, in development since last year, has the biggest explosive power in the non-
nuclear category and might be used for the first time in Iraq if the US finally
decides to take military action.
A video broadcast by television channels showed the bomb falling through the air,
busting into a fireball, rattling buildings in nearby areas and sending clouds of
smoke rising hundreds of feet.
The new massive ordinance aerial bomb (MOAB), as it is officially known, tested at
Eglin Air Force base in Florida was also part of the psychological warfare being
conducted by Pentagon.
The bomb is expected to be used against critical targets on the surface and
underground in case of a war. This was the third test for the bomb, but first with
live ammunition.
"The goal is to have the pressure be so great that Saddam Hussein co-operates,"
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters.
"Short of that – an unwillingness to co-operate – the goal is to have the
capabilities of the coalition so clear and so obvious that there is an enormous
disincentive for the Iraqi military to fight against the coalition."
Pentagon officials were quoted as saying they were examining results of the test to
determine whether it worked as designed.
PTI
