The Center for Strategic and International Studies recently published data released by the U.S. Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, a joint task force set up by the U.S. Department of Defense, indicating that the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has been increasing. The data, taken from 2004 through the beginning of 2010, depicted a sharp rise in ineffective IED incidents, outstripping the effective incidents. This may be in part the result the deployment of more mine-resistant, ambush protected all-terrain vehicles to the country. However, the number of IEDs "turned in" by locals — letting International Security Assistance Force soldiers know where an IED has been emplaced — appeared to be declining at the beginning of the year, and this may have affected the number of IEDs found and cleared. The number of coalition soldiers killed and wounded in action by IEDs at the beginning of 2009 also outstripped the figures from the previous year. As additional troops are deployed to the country and the operational tempo of ISAF forces increases, the use of IEDs by militants across Afghanistan should be expected to continue trending upward.
