(AFP) Concern over mines in Iraq

[Up2Late]

Mon, 28 Feb 2005

Human Rights Watch raised a red flag on Monday over US plans to deploy a new system of remote-controlled anti-personnel mines in Iraq.

The New York-based rights watchdog said the US Army had failed to answer critical questions regarding the potential harm the mines might pose to civilians.

The new system, called Matrix, allows a soldier with a laptop computer to detonate Claymore mines remotely via radio signal from several kilometers away.

While Claymores normally propel lethal fragments from 40 to 60 metres across a 60-degree arc, Human Right Watch said US Army tests indicated that the hazard range for the new system was as far as 300 metres.

(more at link)
<http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/419708.htm>

[Spinzonner]

1. I guess the army was getting IED-Envy

[Cocoa]

5. exactly

next, look for the American version of VBD's, complete with euphemisms.

[Up2Late]

6. O.K., you got me, What's VBD?

:shrug:

[daleo]

15. Probably a fancy name for a car bomb.

Vehicle Borne Device would be my guess.

[meganmonkey]

2. Civilians? What civilians?

If they aren't dead by now, they're certainly terrorists!

:eyes:

yes, it's sarcasm. sort of. ;)

[Up2Late]

3. Oh Sorry, This one got through the "filter." They mean...

"Collateral Damage"

I hope the "Thought Police" didn't see that.:freak:

Did you see what this said? 300m kill range. :wtf: That's 1000ft or 3 football fields placed end to end!

[meganmonkey]

4. Oh, right. 'Collateral Damage'

That way we can imagine it isn't PEOPLE!!!!!

Aaaaarrrgggggg... :(

[NNN0LHI]

7. Sounds kind of like a system someone would use to protect oil pipelines

Doesn't it?

Don

[Up2Late]

8. I bet you're right

Claymore mines are highly directional:think: :grr:

[daleo]

14. Pipelines - that sounds about right.

It would take millions or even tens of millions to cover the entire network, but that is probably the plan. It would probably kill plenty of civilians.

[RamboLiberal]

9. Concern over mines in Iraq (U.S. remote controlled Claymores)

http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/419708.htm

Human Rights Watch raised a red flag on Monday over US plans to deploy a new system of remote-controlled anti-personnel mines in Iraq.

The New York-based rights watchdog said the US Army had failed to answer critical questions regarding the potential harm the mines might pose to civilians.

The new system, called Matrix, allows a soldier with a laptop computer to detonate Claymore mines remotely via radio signal from several kilometers away.

While Claymores normally propel lethal fragments from 40 to 60 metres across a 60-degree arc, Human Right Watch said US Army tests indicated that the hazard range for the new system was as far as 300 metres.

"A faraway blip on a laptop screen is hardly a surefire method of determining if you are about to kill an enemy combatant or an unsuspecting civilian," said Steve Goose, executive director of the watchdog's arms division.

[arcane1]

10. how can you use these in a guerilla war...

without taking out scores of civilians, too?

are the "insurgents" just roaming around an empty desert?

:shrug:

[bahrbearian]

11. So when did we worry about civilians?

[Wright Patman]

12. Isn't this just our bloatedly

expensive answer to the Iraqi guerrilla's IEDs, which they are fashioning from leftover artilllery shells and detonating via cell phone signals or somesuch?

[Up2Late]

13. We should take a poll on how much the Pentigon...

...is wasting on this (in Billions), and what company got the contract.:argh:

My guess is 15 Billion and Carlyle Group:mad: