Yeah, let's phaser all those damn A-rabs, that'll learn 'em. Can you imagine the first time they'd use this little toy? I can see using it against people about to take over your embassy, Tehran style, MAYBE, but geez, using as general riot control? We're going to phaser entire crowds of people, while Al Jazeera gets it all on camera?
Which leads me to ask the question: Is our military learning?From Reuters:
Scientists are questioning the safety of a "Star Wars"-style ray gun due to be deployed in Iraq for riot control next year.
The Active Denial System weapon, classified as “less lethal” by the Pentagon, fires a 95-gigahertz microwave beam at rioters to cause heating and intolerable pain in less than five seconds....
But New Scientist magazine reported Wednesday that during tests carried out at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, participants playing the part of rioters were told to remove glasses and contact lenses to protect their eyes.
In another test, they were also told to remove metal objects like coins from their clothing to avoid local hot spots developing on their skin.
