On Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:50:58 -0500, Ignoramus20172
wrote:

On 2008-10-28, Jon Anderson wrote:
wrote:

Ooops.

No kidding! I've seen another video of a mortar exploding.
Any idea what causes this?

I have seen reports that US military intentionally plants rounds that
are designed to explode upon firing, so that insurgents would blow
them up. Kids pick up those mortar rounds, sell them and resell them,
and then they fall into insurgents hands and explode when fired.

I personally think that it is a great idea.

There was a highly classified (and effective) program that planted
doctored ammo during the Viet Nam war. It has just recently been
declassified.