TERRORISM: Sonic Weaponry Deployed in Iraq

A new age of weaponry is now being deployed in Iraq. As the LA Times story below describes a new crowd control weapon will be at the disposal of military commanders in the field in Iraq.

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LATimes.com

SOUTH POMFRET, Vt. — Marines arriving in Iraq this month as part of a massive troop rotation will bring with them a high-tech weapon never before used in combat — or in peacekeeping. The device is a powerful megaphone the size of a satellite dish that can deliver recorded warnings in Arabic and, on command, emit a piercing tone so excruciating to humans, its boosters say, that it causes crowds to disperse, clears buildings and repels intruders.

The question of whether or not these weapons should be deployed is discussed at length in this article. The writer’s supposition is that they should not be deployed until such time as there has been a lengthy debate over the ethical questions that surround the use of such a weapon, which can cause deafness. I believe that such weapons need to be employed based not on an ethical debate for which there is only nebulous standards of right and wrong but rather on a practical issue of the weapons effectiveness vs cost. This weapons system needs to be deployed to evaluate its usage potential. Battle field testing is the only realm in which a weapons system can truly be evaluated. If it disperses crowds without causing the death of non-combatants, great. If it causes ˝ of the people in the area of effect to have permanent hearing loss then its uses will be limited. Still it will have uses and our troops need to be equipped with the best of both lethal and non-lethal weaponry to defend themselves. To discuss the morality of a weapons system is really asinine. After all who would seriously debate the morality of an M16. The fact is we live in a evil violent world and only strength will maintain peace and civility.

See also this great link on directed energy weapons.
ATSNN.com


[Edited on 8-3-2004 by Banshee]

This is scary. This goes beyond traditional crowd control weapons as it has the potential to cause permanent hearing loss and deafness. To think that someone could have the power to make hundreds of people deaf in one strike is definately something to be worried about I imagine. There are possibilities for this weapon which I believe have not been fully fleshed out.

I'll be upset just as soon as I can see the real medical data about that weapon myself. Till then I say use it as much as you want. Better to cause loss of hearing than loss of life.

Surely this weapons system has been tested before it was deployed. I wonder if there are not test subjects (victims) in our military today who "volunteered" to be subjected to this thing. It would be interesting to hear what they have to say about the experience. It also seems to me that something the size of a satalite dish, and I am assuming it is a large one not the Dish Network type, would be an easy target for a few rounds from an assault rifle. Once pocketed with non harmonic holes I doubt that the device would continue to function well. It may only be useful in non armed conflict.

It is a sad day for humanity when mass crowd control justifies the use of debilitating weaponry. We are no better than the Chinese at Tieneman square if we use this kind of stuff to disperse protests. This could be used whenever political demonstrations did not fit the party line. How long do you think it will be before this kind of thing is turned on the next street demonstration in Las Angeles? Be afraid, be very afraid

WhatEVER! I'll take a 'sonic boom' over being crushed by a tank any day, thank you very much!

I'm not so sure it would be used to make people deaf. It would probably be used to make them sick, that is, if the device uses infrasound. Devices using sound, for war, have been studied for many, many years. If the walls of Jericho came down from the sounds of trumpets, then people be can be brought down as well (as we all know - just worse than what you probably think). Do a search for "infrasound" and the particular research of "Vladimir Gavreau." Infrasound can make humans and animals sick, kill them, and even destroy matter. Another problem with most infrasound is that you can't even hear it, so it can be used without anyboy knowing what is going on. The LATimes doesn't say it is high pitched, just "a piercing tone " that is " excruciating to humans." The possibility of it being infrasound in nature is very high - they won't go deaf, but their bodie's won't feel very well afterwards, and if need be, the military could kill everyone within the megaphones power range, only other problem with infrasound, it is dispersed omni-directionally (even if the device's sound is coming from a singular point and is directed, although it could be they have finally found a solution to this problem, or the military personnel using the device have some sort of newly developed protective clothing), so they could also injure themselves, or kill themselves. The best way that Vladimir Gavreau could think of for using infrasound (without harm to the people using it) would be to remotely control a machine that has an infrasound device attached to it. Anyways, have fun reading up on infrasound (if you so choose : )!

[Edited on 3-9-2004 by EmbryonicEssence]

That's disgusting, torturous and inhumane!!!!!!!!

posted something like this when i found it last week. its been posted in the weapons section of ats'forum.

LOL, Unlike Bullets..

Rather Deafness than Deathness. I think people should be sike we even think of this stuff rather than kill them

ouch this makes my ears hurt just thinking about it. The capacity to harm the human being just seems to increase with every passing year. When will it end.

I'd bet a hundred bucks, even money, that it does more than that! We'll just have to wait until they use it on US and y'all can just pay up!

But I'm already deaf...
DeltaChaos

Think about it, they use it, it makes a whole crowd deaf, then the weapon is then useless so they have to use guns anyway.

I have heard that certain sounds can affect the central nervous system whether or not your ear physically hears them. Anyone have links or info on this?

How can a sound affect the nervous system without the only nervous system interface, the ear?

This device is very directional...it doesn't just fire out a high-frequency wave that will render an entire crowd deaf. It is designed to thwart anyone running toward the vehicle, or area, and therefore prevent anyone from tossing a grenade into the vehicle, etc.

Plus, I see them using something like this [possibly] at checkpoints provided it is useful to stop vehicles trying to run the checkpoints loaded with explosive.

It apparently requires several seconds of direct exposure to risk hearing loss. But I see this more as a short burst kind of weapon. Plus, if they are coming under fire from some building, I imagine focusing this thing at the building may quickly halt the shooting.

To me, seems better than shooting someone up.

cbsuebee, Wolferacerfan,
Infrasound has that ability, read my previous post. It's not the only type of sound which can do so, its just the most nerve racking.

[Edited on 3-11-2004 by EmbryonicEssence]

When you introduce the requirement of non-lethal to a weapon's design, then you are automatically bringing in the ethical question....therefore you can't throw it out.

The whole point of non-lethal force is to effect control, but without loss of life, (and it is assumed, at minimal injury), as it is largely for control of civilians, not enemy combatants... If it causes a lot of serious injuries, permanent disability, then it isn't living up to it's intended profile.....