So Barbero believes that legal barriers barring cooperation between domestic law enforcement agencies and national-security agencies need to be rethought in light of the emerging threat.
Having served three combat tours in Iraq before coming to the IED agency, Barbero had an intimate grasp of the operational challenges and human costs imposed by improvised explosive devices.
Barbero says technology is only part of the answer: troops have to be trained to get the full value of counter-IED technology, and detailed intelligence is required to attack enemy networks and finances.
General Barbero has worked hard with other federal agencies to curb the availability of ammonium-nitrate fertilizers made in Pakistan, since traces of the agricultural chemical have shown up repeatedly in the aftermath of Taliban bombings.