 Hello and welcome to NewsClick. The Americans have dropped what they call mother-of-all bombs in Afghanistan. To discuss the issue we have with us, Prabir Purkayasthak, editor-in-chief of NewsClick. So they have dropped what they are calling mother-of-all bombs. What is this bomb? What are its features, its specifications? How different it is from others? Let's be clear about it. This is actually just a big large barrel bomb. This is what the Americans have been charging the Syrians with. That they are dropping barrel bombs over their people and how the barrel bombs are savage, bad, etc. etc. We have been hearing this propaganda all the time. The question is, is the so called mother-of-all bombs any different from what the Syrians are dropping except for being much larger? Let's look at what you said, what are the features of the bomb? It's essentially a kind of fuel oil which spreads like an aerosol and then it's ignited by some charges. So when it ignites, because it's basically an oil vapor that's igniting, what it does is it blast radius is much larger and some more continuous blast, a longer blast. Then what you have normally is an explosive charge which is a combination of oxidizing agent and whatever is going to be used to burn it. So here also there are oxidizing agents which are sort of scattered in the oil aerosol which is that helps to ignite the whole oil at one point. But the point is that the primary action is really that of an aerosol oil vapor which is ignited sort of simultaneously using various charges. The destructive action is not only through a large blast that takes place but also sucking out oxygen from the nearby atmosphere because that's what is used to continue the burning. Oil burns, it requires oxygen and that oxygen is taken from the surrounding atmosphere which is around the aerosol. So it sucks oxygen around it and therefore not only the blast radius but a much larger radius of people are affected who then would not get oxygen. Essentially therefore it's not high-tech, it is relatively something which anybody can construct except for the fact that they've been put into very large casing and dropped. Now even the dropping is very similar to what the claim the Syrians do which is roll it out of the essentially of helicopters or ships, aeroplanes which carry a lot of goods. So you just essentially what's used for transportation. So you use this transportation planes or helicopters to really drop these barrel bombs. Helicopters are supposed to be the one which is commonly being used. In this case also this was dropped by using the C-130 Herculeus helicopter. The bomb was literally dragged out by a parachute which was opened. The parachute dragged out the carriage on which the bomb was resting and then the carriage was dragged out. It floated up with the parachute to the result the bomb drops down. So even the principle of dropping the bomb is nothing something which is very sophisticated. It is very similar to what again the barrel bombs that the Syrians have been claimed to be dropping what happens with them. So in essence it may be called by all kinds of names but essentially it is nothing but one big barrel bomb. The difference is that it's very large. So this is 22,000 pounds which is the destructive capacity of the bomb. So it's much, much larger than anything the Syrians are claimed to have done. But in principle it has the same effect meaning that it is very much distributed in its impact and therefore the possibility of civilian casualties are very high and this is one of the reasons that in Iraq this bomb was not used. Why do you think the US used it because as you have pointed out it was not used in Iraq war and now Trump is boasting about using it and calls it a successful mission? You know it's very interesting. The media is all over with this mother of all bombs giving its details as if this is a major technological breakthrough. This as I said being a barrel bomb it's simple to construct any country in the world can really do it. Size and dropping it cannot be very high-tech either. It's also clear that the military reason given dropping it in Afghanistan to clear caves cannot be a very serious reason. Because if that was so then how much, how many of the combatants supposedly have died 50 or 60s what the claim is. In reality these claims are always inflated and you know the numbers are relatively smaller. I think the strategic significance is A to show that we are going to be there for the long haul in Afghanistan. So it also shows that Trump wants to give a signal that we are going to continue the occupation of Afghanistan and America will be the preeminent player there. Instead of what is being argued that Afghanistan requires a solution which should involve all the players particularly the regional players. So I think that's putting on the ground that the Americans have the preeminent or the pole position in Afghanistan and are willing to back it up militarily even for the long haul. It's one message it seems to give Afghanistan. Karzai has already protested against the impact or it will have on Afghan people. So here we are seeing Afghanistan being quote-unquote pacified without the support of Afghan people. Because obviously any such weapon would really rebound on the American people because the American military because it alienates the local people. The second is vis-a-vis Syria and vis-a-vis North Korea. I think the Trump regime wants to give a signal that it means business and how else to make this demonstration except to the hapless Afghan population. So I think this is an attempt to pass a message to the world, to Syria, the South government and the North Korean government. America means business and doing it in Afghanistan is then a safe bet because after all Afghanistan is already war-torn. You can claim you are clearing some Taliban caves etc while making the main message. Thanks a lot Prabir and as these things proceed we will be coming back to you on such issues. Thank you for watching NewsClick.