# Why isn't Hamas using IEDs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 13, 2009, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052 "2009-01-13T06:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/1 "2009-01-13T06:25:32Z")
You’d think if they were firing rockets on population centers, with the associated high likelihood of getting invaded that Hamas might have had some IED placement plans ready to go just in case, but so far not a peep about any Israeli tanks or other vehicles getting blown up. Why no IEDs? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/2 "2009-01-13T07:26:00Z")
They’ve placed hundreds, maybe thousands. Israeli troops just know how to handle them - by working slowly and meticulously, with infantry using tools such as bomb-sniffing dogs to clear the terrain before the vehicles advance. Plus, we’ve been lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/3 "2009-01-13T08:52:51Z")
There’s also the lack of E. You can’t I a D without E. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/4 "2009-01-13T10:02:23Z")
They have plenty of E. E is easy to smuggle and easy to make. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/5 "2009-01-13T10:18:46Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > They have plenty of E. E is easy to smuggle and easy to make. If it is that easy, won’t they just make some more when the troops have moved out? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/6 "2009-01-13T10:24:50Z")
Eventually, sure. The point of breaking through defenses is not to destroy the defenses, it’s to get to the people who placed them and are hiding behind them. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/7 "2009-01-13T10:30:41Z")
So, is Israel’s main military objective in this window of opportunity, to find and destroy or negate, every arms cache and smuggling tunnel that they can? And then what are they going to do, reinforce the perimeter so the place is even more of a prison? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/8 "2009-01-13T11:00:12Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > So, is Israel’s main military objective in this window of opportunity, to find and destroy or negate, every arms cache and smuggling tunnel that they can? That, and find and kill as many Hamas operatives - particularly leaders - they can. That’s what you do in war: you kill your enemies. > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > And then what are they going to do, reinforce the perimeter so the place is even more of a prison? Probably reach a favorable cease fire and go back to protecting our border. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/9 "2009-01-13T11:10:51Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > That, and find and kill as many Hamas operatives - particularly leaders - they can. That’s what you do in war: you kill your enemies. Trouble is, any intelligent leaders will have melted away, and the ones you are killing can be replaced - by people even more determined because you’ve just killed their brother, uncle, dad, whatever. Do you even need to be Palestinian to fight for Hamas? > [@Alessan](#): > > Probably reach a favorable cease fire and go back to protecting our border. And the worst case scenario? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/10 "2009-01-13T11:36:24Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Trouble is, any intelligent leaders will have melted away, and the ones you are killing can be replaced - by people even more determined because you’ve just killed their brother, uncle, dad, whatever. Do you even need to be Palestinian to fight for Hamas? First of all, the IDF already killed several of their intelligent leaders. Second of all, there will always be replacements, but these replacements need to be trained, equipped and led, and that can’t be done overnight. The purpose of the operation is not to resolve the matter for all eternity, it’s to win us a few more months or even years of quiet. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/11 "2009-01-13T11:40:45Z")
So basically, you are trying to bomb the entire nation into a submissive state and then hoping to keep them there? Got ya! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/12 "2009-01-13T11:41:02Z")
> [@astro](#): > > You’d think if they were firing rockets on population centers, with the associated high likelihood of getting invaded that Hamas might have had some IED placement plans ready to go just in case, but so far not a peep about any Israeli tanks or other vehicles getting blown up. > > Why no IEDs? [who said they weren’t using them](http://idfspokesperson.com/2009/01/08/ieds-uncovered-in-gaza-7-jan-2009-2341-ist/)? ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/13 "2009-01-13T12:11:03Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > So basically, you are trying to bomb the entire nation into a submissive state and then hoping to keep them there? > > Got ya! “_Stopping rockets being [fired into schools](http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3401172,00.html)_,” and the like. Sucks when people add context, hu? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/14 "2009-01-13T12:17:32Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > So basically, you are trying to bomb the entire nation into a submissive state and then hoping to keep them there? > > Got ya! We’re trying to fight our enemy until we defeat him, yes. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/15 "2009-01-13T12:23:16Z")
> [@Trocisp](#): > > “_Stopping rockets being [fired into schools](http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3401172,00.html)_,” and the like. > Sucks when people add context, hu? Okay, if we’re talking about context, who do you think is suffering more; Hamas or the Palestinian people as a whole? In what context is that a proportionate response, when the target of your attacks is not the only thing being punished? What ratio of Hamas militants to civilians have you decided is an acceptable consequence? ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/16 "2009-01-13T12:25:38Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Okay, if we’re talking about context, who do you think is suffering more; Hamas or the Palestinian people as a whole? Hamas. > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > In what context is that a proportionate response, when the target of your attacks is not the only thing being punished? Proportional response it the fastest way to a slow war, with undue suffering. > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > What ratio of Hamas militants to civilians have you decided is an acceptable consequence? As many as possible to as few as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/17 "2009-01-13T14:40:15Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Okay, if we’re talking about context, who do you think is suffering more; Hamas or the Palestinian people as a whole? In what context is that a proportionate response, when the target of your attacks is not the only thing being punished? What ratio of Hamas militants to civilians have you decided is an acceptable consequence? How many Palestinians are in favour of Hamas’s terrorism against Israeli civilians either tacitly or openly? How many Palestinians have expressed disapproval of Hamas’s and other terrorist organisations actions against Israeli civilians? How many Palestinians have unprompted expressed regret and sympathy for Israeli civilians(or Americans or Spanish or Indian or British) killed and maimed by Islamic terrorists? How many Palestinians whooped and cheered and celebrated openly in the streets on watching/hearing about 9/11 ? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/18 "2009-01-13T15:39:19Z")
How many unrelated questions can be squeezed into one post? To answer the OP, the difference between the US troops in Iraq and the Israeli troops is that the US troops are patrolling essentially pacified areas, which means they’re moving (read: driving) much faster. The Israeli troops are essentially conducting a small-scale invasion, which means they’re moving very slowly. Much easier to detect (and avoid) IEDs in the latter scenario. ---
**Author:** ![Henrichek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Henrichek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henrichek)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/19 "2009-01-13T16:01:23Z")
This thread seems to be heading into debate territory. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052/20 "2009-01-13T18:56:50Z")
I’m going to go ahead and move this from General Questions to Great Debates. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-hamas-using-ieds/481052.md?page=2)