A couple of things here, both are technically feasible. First in a city like Bagdad that surveillance isn't a problem why not have every square inch recorded at all times. Then when a car bomb or person explodes the tape can be looked at and the bomb factory found.This may be expensive but money seems to be no object there right now.
-- pydor, Jul 09 2008

part II - I was going to add that there is a technology to put nanoparticles that are like a lot number into explosive components.I can't find the article but I think it was in science news eight or nine years ago. These particles are not destroyed by the explosion.If chemical components are mandated to be labeled with this technology the source of at least a good portion of the explosive supply should dry up.
-- pydor, Jul 09 2008


// put nanoparticles that are like a lot number into explosive components //

It can be done with isotopic labelling too; but it wouldn't help in this situation, because (a) some of the stores are going to be legacy supplies from before the invasion, and therefore of "known" origin, and (b) if a hostile external power is suppying new stores, why should they make life easy for their targets ?

This works only when the stores are getting to terrorists from civillian supplies.
-- 8th of 7, Jul 09 2008


There is darkness to consider - unless you intend to illuminate Baghdad and the surrounding area for the duration of your project.
-- zen_tom, Jul 09 2008


<pedant>
cohort: originally, a roughly battalion-sized unit of the Roman army.

20th-21st centuries;
1. Used by writers of pulp fiction in phrases like 'Ming the Merciless and his cohorts' to imply that the baddie in question has *lots* of assistants
2. Ignored by filmers of pulp fiction, who couldn't afford battalion-sized units of extras
3. Ignorantly parroted by consumers of pulp fiction, to refer to any assistant of a baddie.

Compare recent use of the word 'troops' by ignorant journalists as a synonym of 'soldiers', as in "three troops were injured yesterday in an ambush".
</pedant>
-- pertinax, Jul 10 2008


The terrorists will just become more sneaky, hiding bombs while looking like they're not doing anything unusual. All the camera shows is 56 people rode in this cab today before it exploded. It doesn't catch the guy who drops a time bomb out of his pant leg and kicks it under the seat.
-- Bukkakinator, Jul 10 2008


To be fair, this is exactly what is in place all around the UK - as soon as anything offensive happens, it's not long before there's a CCTV trail that leads back to someone's council flat.

Of course, it's not just the CCTV that is used in this type of detection, it's just one of the tools available to a country that hasn't been aerially bombarded since sometime in the mid 1940's - It may take some time and effort to deploy a similar level of infrastructure into Baghdad.

So, isn't this just a case of 'me too' - except that instead of 'me', we can insert 'Baghdad'.
-- zen_tom, Jul 10 2008



random, halfbakery