US brings new weapon to Iraq

[Aidoneus]

Reuters, the original source of this piece, may not be entirely correct about that--from reports I have seen, there is already use of this device in occupied Iraq..

US brings new weapon to Iraq
Tuesday 09 March 2004

The US military is about to add a controversial new weapon to its huge arsenal in Iraq.

But in contrast to other armaments, this one does not shoot or explode. It screams.

A defence contractor announced securing a million dollar deal to supply the First US Marine Expeditionary Force with a so-called Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD.

The manufacturer has borrowed some of its technology from modern pest-control devices that shoo away mice and other rodents with the help of ultrasound.

While LRAD can boom commands, it can also deliver a shrill 145-decibel tone over a distance of more than 300 metres, causing splitting headaches, pain, panic and even hearing loss.

The sound is about twice as powerful as the scream of a standard smoke detector. And earplugs will not be of any help.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/573509BF-21B3-42C2-8305-370D6CC9631E.htm

[trumad]

1. IRAQ---The U.S Defense Contractors Playground!

[redqueen]

2. *sigh*

I suppose deaf children is better than dead / wounded children.

Will we ever learn?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

8. The answer is...................

NO.

[Drifter]

3. Don't tell me ...

They are going to play the Dean Scream on continous loop.

That should make them crazy ... It worked in America.

Cheers
Drifter

[bobthedrummer]

4. American Technology Corp. of San Diego is the company.

There is a thread that discussed this news, in a different manner.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x405711

[thebigidea]

5. 20 monopoly bucks says these things are used in the Occupied Territories..

... within a year or two.

No doubt the usual suspects will call it a "Peace Ray."

[Alpharetta]

6. I bet they'll try it out at the protests at the RNC in NY this september

[bobthedrummer]

7. This system is one of the many non-lethal weapons.

Here is a link to a USAF think tank paper on them.
http://www.adacomp.net/~mcherney/nonlethal.html

[ParanoidPat]

10. Interesting paper, thanks for posting it.....

.....Looks like we need to develop an acoustic dampener in the 7-10 Hz range. It also looks like they've already used this on anti-war protesters in San Francisco State at Berkeley!

Acoustic, HPS-1 Sound System . A 350 watt sound system with an audible voice range of 2 1/2 miles. Used by the military in Indo-China and then supplied to law enforcement. First used by police forces at San Francisco State College and at Berkeley in the 1960s <2:277-279,82,84>. See also Acoustic, Curdler Unit.

Acoustic, Infrasound . Very low- frequency sound which can travel long distances and easily penetrate most buildings and vehicles. Transmission of long wavelength sound creates biophysical effects; nausea, loss of bowels, disorientation, vomiting, potential internal organ damage or death may occur. Superior to ultrasound because it is "in band" meaning that its does not lose its properties when it changes mediums such as from air to tissue. By 1972 an infrasound generator had been built in France which generated waves at 7 hertz. When activated it made the people in range sick for hours <23,302,546>.

Acoustic, Squawk Box . Crowd dispersal weapon field tested by the British Army in Ireland in 1973. This directional device emits two ultrasonic frequencies which when mixed in the human ear become intolerable. It produces giddiness, nausea or fainting. The beam is so small that is can be directed at specific individuals in a riot situation <451,452,504>.

[bobthedrummer]

9. Here's a bit more on American Technology Corp. and my opinion

about these devices and the potential for abuse. They have been in development for over 50 years, you know.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x405711#405926