July 21, 2005
Iraq's Cellphone Battle
Saddam Hussein outlawed cellphones, determined to maintain an iron grip on his subjects. But as Iraq catches up with the world's information revolution, cellphones have become as commonplace here as they are almost everywhere else in the world. Now, they are increasingly being used as battle tools -- to set off bombs from afar, to target fire and to provide insurgents with instant communications. The Wall Street Journal reports.
... "In Baghdad, fear of cellphones is so widespread that U.S. and Iraqi security guards routinely order civilians to remove the batteries from their phones before approaching checkpoints. Wireless technology has made insurgent groups much more effective. For example, a mortar-firing team miles away from its target can adjust its aim via cellphone contact with a spotter, who can see exactly where mortar shells have landed".
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