Operation Global Shield

The trade of ammonium nitrate is now being regulated in a worldwide effort known as Operation Global Shield in an attempt to reduce the number of fatalities caused by roadside bombings. Ammonium Nitrate is a common ingredient in many fertilizers but it is also a common ingredient in many bombs. In Afghanistan these type of bombings are the number one killer of US troops. Despite efforts to stop the flow of ammonium nitrate into Afghanistan hundreds of tons of the chemical make it into the country from Pakistan. It is hard to know whether the police have actually been fooled and are unknowingly passing it into the country, or if they are being payed off by those trying to smuggle it in. Many officials want to put detection devices at the borders but even so, smugglers are becoming more and more sophisticated every day.

submitted by Haley Kirk