Sputnik - The Pentagon dropped a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), nicknamed the "Mother of All Bombs," on a system of tunnels and caves used by Daesh in Afghanistan, but the largest non-nuclear weapon in the Washington's arsenal does not appear to be the best choice for the mission, political analyst Intizar Khadim told Radio Sputnik.





Khadim, a former strategic communication director at�Independent Directorate of�Local Governance in�Afghanistan, pointed to�the minimal damage the bomb inflicted on�Daesh as�opposed to�the weapon's size.
"This was not a very strategic act," he said. "Such a huge bomb killed 36 people. That's not a very strategic investment."


The United States Central Command announced that the GBU-43/B was used in�an operation carried out�at 7:32 p.m. local time on�April 13. The mission targeted Daesh tunnels in�the Achin district of�the Nangarhar province. The Pentagon ostensibly chose the MOAB to "minimize the risk" to�US and Afghan service personnel engaged in�a clearing operation in�the area "while maximizing the destruction of [Daesh] fighters and facilities."


US Forces-Afghanistan Commander Gen. John W. further defended the choice of�the armament during�a press conference held on�April 14. "This was the right weapon against�the right target," he said.

?Khadim suggested that there are three reasons why the United States decided to�use the MOAB for�the first time in�combat.
Saber-rattling "definitely should be one of�the reasons behind�using this big bomb in�Afghanistan," he said. "That would be really a showcase or a projection of�power to [those whom Washington views as] competitors."


The analyst did not elaborate on�who those are, but�many have pointed out�that the move was designed to�send a message to�Russia, China, Iran, Syria and North Korea.

Khadim also said that the Pentagon's decision to�use such a powerful weapon "will have a deterrent effect on�Daesh foot soldiers" and recruits, potentially dissuading them from�joining terrorist groups.

"The third reason is [Gen. John W.] Nicholson today had a press conference. He promised the Afghan people that in�2017 [the US-led coalition] will try to�root out [terrorist groups in�the country]. He repeated this so many times that 2017 will be the end of�Daesh in�Afghanistan. I hope that should be a reality because I am not sure that could be a smart talk to�overpromise," the analyst observed.