Thread: Why Don't Iraqis Stop at Roadblocks?

Originally Posted by kato

Actually, it's fairly easy. There are mobile prepped run-over barriers available that raise up within seconds to slash the tires of an incoming hostile car (sometimes spring-activated, but more usually easily moving up and down on pneumatics or similar on the press button).
Ponds, the PMC doing the outer security work for the US Forces in Germany uses them in some places (mostly entrances to housing areas that are not permanently in use, and hence do not warrant the cost of a permanent barrier system, or a full-blown roadblock/check tent).
The difficulty would be primarily in deploying these systems in such a way as to channel all traffic over it, but that could be done by deploying some simple concrete barriers from a truck.

No, it's not easy, and I'm plenty familiar with the various options out there. You're not going to setup concrete barriers for a checkpoint that will last from 30-120 minutes. Every piece of equipment that you drag in has to be taken with you, which means that the more you setup, the less flexible you are to respond to an incident and the more opportunities there are to present yourself as a target.

However, that's not even what I was referring to. What I was referring to is the fact that in a dense urban environment, there's too many alternate routes that would have to be shut down to be able to guarantee that you're going to funnel traffice through your checkpoint, i.e., I was talking on the macro scale and not on the micro scale (which would be can a vehicle drive around your obstacle by using the shoulder).