12/17: Busted-up Afghan van

[Joe]

It appears as if the major structures of the van have been pushed back and then down, which would follow from a windshield-level hit.

Civilian passenger vehicle hulls are made out of some very thin-gage metal, good for both fuel economy and crash safety as it crumples well. A hit by a military shell would probably have blown this van back into it's component parts.

There are no flash burns visible (could have been cleaned off, but should have left some permanent marks).

There isn't a single shrapnel puncture visible anywhere on the van. The thin metal skin should at least show some holes from the high-explosive disintegration of the bomb housing.

The floor of the van, and the drivetrain beneath, all seem very much intact, which would follow a collision high on the vehicle, and not a bomb.

I think this guy ran into something and that was all. Some western journalists come by and he makes up this story to see if we'll buy it.


That's my amateur view anyway.