For the improvised mortars, I think it's more of a question of strategic priorities (carpet bombing Belfast was never on the table in a way ditto for Raqqa prob

For the improvised mortars, I think it's more of a question of strategic priorities (carpet bombing Belfast was never on the table in a way ditto for Raqqa probably is) than capabilities (although the PIRA and UDF did benefit from having a nearby staging area). That said, it's not like they're lacking in creativity: http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21699098-makeshift-weapons-are-becoming-more-dangerous-highly-sophisticated http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/2169909...