http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/07/silent_guardian_export/

<quotes>

The United States is to export its crowd-grilling "less lethal" microwave 
cannon, the Silent Guardian - which has never been deployed by US forces due 
to worries over bad publicity - to an unnamed foreign ally.

Aviation Week reports today that executives from American arms megacorp 
Raytheon, makers of the famous yet seldom-used riot-roaster weapon, have 
disclosed a sale of four containerised Silent Guardians to "a US ally". The 
revelations were described as an "oops" by the corporate types, as the 
Pentagon had forbidden the firm to make the sale public.

</quotes>

Now I wonder who that "US ally" may be ? I also wonder how it will stand up 
to having stones thrown at it by children ?

On Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:50:08 +0100, The Happy Hippy  
 wrote:

> Now I wonder who that "US ally" may be ?

Israel, I bet.


-- 
Facts are sacred ... but comment is free.

The Happy Hippy wrote:
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/07/silent_guardian_export/
> 
> <quotes>
> 
> The United States is to export its crowd-grilling "less lethal" microwave 
> cannon, the Silent Guardian - which has never been deployed by US forces due 
> to worries over bad publicity - to an unnamed foreign ally.
> 
> Aviation Week reports today that executives from American arms megacorp 
> Raytheon, makers of the famous yet seldom-used riot-roaster weapon, have 
> disclosed a sale of four containerised Silent Guardians to "a US ally". The 
> revelations were described as an "oops" by the corporate types, as the 
> Pentagon had forbidden the firm to make the sale public.
> 
> </quotes>
> 
> Now I wonder who that "US ally" may be ? I also wonder how it will stand up 
> to having stones thrown at it by children ? 

Don't think they'll be in a rock throwing mood if they get within rock 
throwing distance.

On 2009-10-08 13:59:23 +0200, Jesse  said:

> The Happy Hippy wrote:
>> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/07/silent_guardian_export/
>> 
>> <quotes>
>> 
>> The United States is to export its crowd-grilling "less lethal" 
>> microwave cannon, the Silent Guardian - which has never been deployed 
>> by US forces due to worries over bad publicity - to an unnamed foreign 
>> ally.
>> 
>> Aviation Week reports today that executives from American arms megacorp 
>> Raytheon, makers of the famous yet seldom-used riot-roaster weapon, 
>> have disclosed a sale of four containerised Silent Guardians to "a US 
>> ally". The revelations were described as an "oops" by the corporate 
>> types, as the Pentagon had forbidden the firm to make the sale public.
>> 
>> </quotes>
>> 
>> Now I wonder who that "US ally" may be ? I also wonder how it will 
>> stand up to having stones thrown at it by children ?
> 
> Don't think they'll be in a rock throwing mood if they get within rock 
> throwing distance.

For every hi-tech million dollar new weapon with which the US plans to 
win the local fight there is always a quick and cheap answer. How, for 
instance, are the heavily armoured state-of-the-art  troop transports 
getting on? Have they solved the problem of IEDs? No, they haven't. And 
do you know what, cheap discarded cardboard boxes can tie down a 
regiment. All you need is to get the kids to stop throwing the stones 
for a minute or two and have them scatter empty cardboard boxes along 
the roads. It can shut a whole district down while someone checks 
whether they are harmless or not. 

And heat rays? Think Medusa. 

That's why an impoverished  population armed only with sticks can keep 
the mightiest army in the world (sic) at bay. And kill its troops to 
boot.

"Krak"  wrote ...

> On 2009-10-08 13:59:23 +0200, Jesse  said:
>
>> The Happy Hippy wrote:
>>> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/07/silent_guardian_export/
>>>
>>> <quotes>
>>>
>>> The United States is to export its crowd-grilling "less lethal" 
>>> microwave cannon, the Silent Guardian - which has never been deployed by 
>>> US forces due to worries over bad publicity - to an unnamed foreign 
>>> ally.
>>>
>>> Aviation Week reports today that executives from American arms megacorp 
>>> Raytheon, makers of the famous yet seldom-used riot-roaster weapon, have 
>>> disclosed a sale of four containerised Silent Guardians to "a US ally". 
>>> The revelations were described as an "oops" by the corporate types, as 
>>> the Pentagon had forbidden the firm to make the sale public.
>>>
>>> </quotes>
>>>
>>> Now I wonder who that "US ally" may be ? I also wonder how it will stand 
>>> up to having stones thrown at it by children ?
>>
>> Don't think they'll be in a rock throwing mood if they get within rock 
>> throwing distance.
>
> For every hi-tech million dollar new weapon with which the US plans to win 
> the local fight there is always a quick and cheap answer. How, for 
> instance, are the heavily armoured state-of-the-art troop transports 
> getting on? Have they solved the problem of IEDs? No, they haven't. And do 
> you know what, cheap discarded cardboard boxes can tie down a regiment. 
> All you need is to get the kids to stop throwing the stones for a minute 
> or two and have them scatter empty cardboard boxes along the roads. It can 
> shut a whole district down while someone checks whether they are harmless 
> or not.
> And heat rays? Think Medusa.
> That's why an impoverished population armed only with sticks can keep the 
> mightiest army in the world (sic) at bay. And kill its troops to boot.

Plus there's the two problems that the harder you hit someone the more 
motive and resolve they may have to fight back or seek revenge and there can 
be an escalation in response, and, if one chooses a weapon or means which is 
repugnant to the international commuity, one can find oneself isolated by 
that community.

America and Israel have already found themselves heavily criticised by the 
international community; America for its rendition, secret prison and 
water-boarding programs along with the abuse of detainees, suspension of 
habeas corpus and breaches of human rights, and Israel for its rights 
record, incursions into Lebanon and ongoing operations in Gaza and elsewhere 
against Palestinians. The view that, 'it is an over the top reaction for the 
Israeli military to shoot Palestinian children simply throwing rocks' is 
widely held, and turning 'microwave ray guns' on them - if that were to 
happen - is likely to be seen in the same regard as blinding people with 
lasers; "not cricket".

Having the ability to do something doesn't mean one should or that it's 
right. Those put upon will often simply find some other way to respond, and 
quite often the harder the push, the more difficult the fight, the harder 
and oblique the push back. As Manhattan discovered.

In message <op.u1g6eybdfergpa@debian>, Robin T Cox 
writes
>On Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:50:08 +0100, The Happy Hippy  <the.happy.hippy.n
>ntp@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>> Now I wonder who that "US ally" may be ?
>
>Israel, I bet.

It's the only one left.
-- 
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\/\/\/\/\ Chris Hills  Staffs  England     /\/\/\/\/
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