December 28, 2005: In Iraq, the terrorists are now going after the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) teams that disarm or destroy the IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices.) The terrorists have realized that the EOD teams not only eliminate IEDs safely, but also collect information on the devices, which is increasingly leading to the people making and planting IEDs getting caught or killed. That process has accelerated of late, and its become more dangerous to be in the business. It is a business, as the key people get paid, and some are demanding higher payments because of the increased danger. Thus, it is seen as good business to try and take out more of the EOD troops.

It's hard to hit EOD people, because these teams are carefully selected for the work, well trained, and many of them are on their second tour in Iraq. Moreover, IEDs directed at EOD people are usually not much use against other targets. That's because you only get the EOD people with a secondary or tertiary bomb. Often the most obvious IED is a dummy, just a distraction to get the EOD team close enough so that the better hidden bombs can go off. This is not easy to do, for not only do the EOD teams look for additional bombs, but they are escorted by infantry teams (often including a tank or two), who help with the search, and protect the EOD troops from snipers or other types of fire.

The EOD teams have been using robots for checking out bombs, and are now using UAVs and other types of sensors to give them better defenses against enemy attacks. So far, the EOD teams have been winning, but they have been taking more casualties as a result of the unwelcome attention.