open without thinking of what might be connected to it. If a door is locked, this makes people believe there could be something valuable behind it so they are more likely to kick it open, with fatal results. vehicles abandoned by the roadside, perhaps with some kind of victim "bait" left on the back seat such as a suitcase or large cardboard box. natural choke-points, such as the only footbridge across a river, which people must use whether they want to or not. important strategic installations such as airfields, railway stations and harbour facilities, all of which the invading forces will want to occupy and use. anything of use or value that people would naturally want to possess or which makes them curious to see what is inside it, e.g. a crate of beer, a pistol, a jerry can, a flashlight, discarded army rucksack or even a picture torn out of a pornographic magazine. A booby trap does not necessarily incorporate explosives in its construction. Examples include the punji sticks mentioned above and deadfall traps which employ heavy objects set up to fall on and crush whoever disturbs the trigger mechanism. However, setting non-explosive booby traps is labour-intensive and time-consuming, they are harder to conceal and they are less likely to do serious damage. In contrast, booby traps containing explosives are much more destructive: they will either kill their victims or severely wound them. Effects In addition to the obvious ability of booby traps to kill or injure, their presence has other effects such as these: demoralize soldiers as booby traps kill or maim comrades keep soldiers continually stressed, suspicious and unable to relax because it is difficult for them to know which areas, buildings or objects are safe slow down troop movement as soldiers are forced to sweep areas to see if there are more booby traps. make soldiers cautious instead of aggressive and confident create no-go areas (real or imagined) after a booby trap has killed or wounded someone cause a section or platoon to have to stop in order to deal with casualties, thus slowing and delaying those troops create confusion and disorientation as a prelude to an ambush Booby traps are indiscriminate weapons. Like anti-personnel mines, they can harm civilians and other unsuspecting noncombatants (during and after the conflict) who are unaware of their presence. The use against civilians is prohibited by the Protocol on Mines,