Iraq: A New Militant Trend -- House-Borne IEDs

On Jan. 9, six U.S. soldiers were killed and four were wounded in Iraq by a house-borne improvised explosive device (HBIED). Though HBIEDs are not completely new to the war in Iraq, what is new is the frequency with which HBIEDs are being used. Changes in tactics signify a change on the battlefield, and this latest trend could represent a positive signal to the coalition forces in Iraq that their efforts are making progress. Unfortunately, the change in tactics also represents the potential for a very negative trend outside Iraq.