The fact that she hasn't set that thing off yet means she wasn't meant to die this day... hopefully.

NegativeSoul said:

The fact that she hasn't set that thing off yet means she wasn't meant to die this day... hopefully.

From what I have been told, lots of anti tank mines are designed to not go off unless a specific weight or magnetic object like a technical, APC, or MBT rolls over it. This is to prevent the infantry from setting it off which would halt any movement as well as prevent the infantry from being entangled by anti-personnel mines/traps a 20 or so yards behind the vehicle mines. Plus it looks like the safety pin is still in place. It "should" be safe to handle, but when it comes to explosives I guess it it is best to err on the side of caution. Especially if the mine layer anticipated EOD measures. Some guy could epoxy on a cut firing pin to make it look safe, weld a nail perpendicular to the safety lever of a grenade and jam it into the dirt. Some guy sweeping the area sees it and picks it up to recover it as contraband and in doing so lets the anvil fly free starting the fuse train. From there you got 3-5 seconds to figure out what to do before you are screwed. No time if they replaced the fuse train with something like flash powder or a primary explosive.

79248cm/s said:
[...] Especially if the mine layer anticipated EOD measures. [...]

...So, it's safe unless someone committed a war-crime? (Not sure if such things are, but certainly seem like they would be)

Catloaf said:

...So, it's safe unless someone committed a war-crime? (Not sure if such things are, but certainly seem like they would be)

Well AP mines themselves are supposed to be outlawed in most of the world, but that doesn't stop people from using it in those areas. War crimes never stopped anyone since the very act of war is intended to be a defiance of world order, and consequentially international law itself. It's like, what are we going to do to them, shoot them? If it is effective it will be used in war, whether people approve of it or not. The only people rules of warfare hurt is generally the good guys since we are held to some political elite council's standard of how para-military/military forces should operate, even though most of them don't even know what it takes to stop evil people. Criminals and terrorists are the bad guys and can do whatever they want.

79248cm/s said:
[Everyone ignores warcrimes]

Well, they're enforced on the surviving losers afterwards...

Catloaf said:

Well, they're enforced on the surviving losers afterwards...

Basically, but generally the ones who accepted a loss aren't the ones laying IED surprises for us to find. Either way, the basic rule everyone is taught is that if you see anything in a forest or wherever that looks man-made or is plastic wrapped, don't touch it and tag it for some EOD tech to take care of, and where one is laid probably a couple more are also in that area. Indoors (particularly underground) is more difficult since any large container might be a chlorine gas or other generator which is why anyone doing "tunnel rat" duties always has an industrial breathing set donned from the get go.

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