Blood Work Hot Rod of the Apocalypse: The History of the Car Bomb (Part 2)
Oct 28, 2025
A sweeping history of how vehicle bombs moved from targeted political leverage to mass urban terror. Stories range from cartel and insurgent campaigns to attacks on cultural and tourist sites. The narrative traces global diffusion, tactics in Iraq and beyond, and whether drones are replacing the car bomb.
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City As The Car Bomb's True Target
- The car bomb evolved into a weapon that sees the city as both habitat and target, weaponizing urban infrastructure and public life.
- This transforms attacks from targeting individuals to assaulting cities' symbolic, economic, and social functions.
Escobar's Urban Bombing Campaign
- Pablo Escobar used car bombs to wage war on the Colombian state and intimidate the populace into resisting extradition to the US.
- His campaign terrorized Medellín and Bogotá, producing massive urban destruction and political concessions.
Attacks On Culture Multiply Damage
- Bombing cultural heritage weaponizes collective memory and tourism, inflicting economic and symbolic harm beyond immediate casualties.
- Attacks on museums and churches force long-term securitization and cultural loss.
