Non-lethal weapons

I heard one of those goofy actors talking about Iran at the big war protest this past weekend. He was asked if the U.S. should allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon? His response was that WE (the U.S.) have them so we don't have the right to tell Iran they can't have them.

This puts us on the same moral level as Iran. I don't believe we belong there. Actions speak louder than words though so think about the differences between the U.S. and our enemies. (And I do believe Iran is an enemy, listen to Ahmadinejad speeches to his own people.)

If we pick up a suspected terrorist he is put into custody, maybe in Cuba, maybe in Iraq. The ACLU and Sean Penn can scream all they want, but that person is treated humanely, well fed and will be released one day if they are no longer a threat. On the other hand, the bad guys pick up an American, they torture and kill them, if possible in camera so they can release it on the internet.

Here's an easy way to distinguish between the two sides in this conflict: look at the weapons we have in development and the weapons they are using against us.

They use car bombs in markets crowded with civilians. We are developing the weapon in the story I have included here, along with several other non-lethal alternatives to the venerable Ma Deuce, .50 caliber machine gun. (I think it's cool they tested it on reporters!)

So this is why I think it's okay for us to tell Iran they can't have nukes. No matter what administration is in power, no matter whether some soldiers on the ground make mistakes or commit crimes; WE have the moral high ground, WE are the good guys. Our intentions are clear from our actions.

San Diego Union-Tribune
January 25, 2007
Pg. 1

Nonlethal Blast From Ray Gun Feels Like Fire

Military is interested in weapon of the future

By Elliott Minor, Associated Press

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – The military calls its new weapon an “active denial system,” but that's an understatement. It's a ray gun that shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they are about to catch fire.

Apart from causing that terrifying sensation, the technology is supposed to be harmless – a nonlethal way to get enemies to drop their weapons.

Military officials say it could save the lives of innocent civilians and service members in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The weapon is not expected to go into production until at least 2010, but all branches of the military have expressed interest in it, officials said.

During the first media demonstration of the weapon yesterday, airmen fired beams from a large-dish antenna atop a Humvee at people pretending to be rioters and acting out other scenarios that U.S. troops might encounter in war zones.

The device's two-man crew located their targets through powerful lenses and fired beams from more than 500 yards away. That is nearly 17 times the range of existing nonlethal weapons, such as rubber bullets.

Anyone hit by the beam immediately jumped out of its path because of the sudden blast of heat throughout the body. While the 130-degree heat was not painful, it was intense enough to make the participants think their clothes were about to ignite.

“This is one of the key technologies for the future,” said Marine Col. Kirk Hymes, director of the nonlethal weapons program at Quantico, Va., which helped develop the new weapon. “Nonlethal weapons are important for the escalation of force, especially in the environments our forces are operating in.”

The system uses electromagnetic millimeter waves, which can penetrate only 1/64th of an inch of skin, just enough to cause discomfort. By comparison, microwaves used in the common kitchen appliance penetrate several inches of flesh.

The millimeter waves cannot go through walls, but they can penetrate most clothing, officials said. They refused to comment on whether the waves can go through glass.

The weapon could be mounted aboard ships, airplanes and helicopters, and routinely used for security or anti-terrorism operations.

“There should be no collateral damage to this,” said Senior Airman Adam Navin, 22, of Green Bay, Wis., who has served several tours in Iraq.

Navin and two other airmen were role players in yesterday's demonstration. They and 10 reporters who volunteered were shot with the beams. The beams easily penetrated layers of winter clothing.

The system was developed by the military, but the two devices being evaluated were built by defense contractor Raytheon.

Airman Blaine Pernell, 22, of suburban New Orleans, said he could have used the system during his four tours in Iraq, where he manned watchtowers around a base near Kirkuk. He said Iraqis constantly pulled up and faked car problems so they could scout out U.S. forces.

“All we could do is watch them,” he said. But if they had the ray gun, troops “could have dispersed them.”