-Caveat Lector- Over the transom. As always, . . . Om K ----- dont use my name Xxxxx Future Wars Dag Hammarskjold observed that "peacekeeping is not a job for soldiers, but only soldiers can do it." Certainly, the situation in the Balkans has highlighted the twilight zone between conflict and peace. Following the symbolic fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism, State controls were abolished and long suppressed grievances came to the fore. The nature of these grievances meant that the ensuing violence could not be met with an armed response. Frequently, the protagonists were from the same cultural and racial milieu as the antagonists and it was difficult to validate the rights and wrongs of either party. Also, periods of peace were frequently punctuated with lapses of violence including ethnic cleansing and forced removals of a massive scale. Under a United Nations mandate, peacekeepers in the Balkans were authorised to take measures to limit future fighting but they themselves could only fight if directly threatened. Hence, given such strict rules of engagement, new thinking was required to handle the situation. Owing to the sensitive nature of peacekeeping operations, a new concept was advocated called non-lethal weaponry. These are weapons that are explicitly designed and used to incapacitate personnel or mat�riel, whilst minimising fatalities and damage to both property and the environment. Non-lethal weapons use means other than gross physical destruction to prevent the target from functioning. Also, non-lethal weapons have a relatively reversible effect on personnel and mat�riel and they affect objects differently within their area of influence. For those wishing to enforce the peace in a non-lethal manner, herewith a brief description of the type of weaponry available in the marketplace: * "Volcano" mines that deploy a net instead of an explosive when triggered. These non-lethal anti-personnel mines mimic the bounding action used in the "Bouncing Betty" anti-personnel mines of the Vietnam War. * Fast curing foams have been designed to provide an area denial system using rigid foams and epoxies. These foams can quickly seal doors and windows or fill target areas to deny access. * The Vortex Ring Gun shoots flash, concussion and non-lethal ammunition to assist with crowd control. Dyes can also be fired to paint specific protestors at demonstrations. The Vortex Ring Gun is a retrofit for an existing MK19-3 40mm grenade launcher allowing for quick the transition to a lethal capability if necessary. * The Underbarrell Tactical Payload Delivery System (UTPDS) uses compressed air to project non-lethal payloads such as dyes, teargas or kinetic impact rounds. The UTPDS is designed to be attached under a standard M16 rifle, which can instantly be used in the standard lethal mode if a situation becomes dangerous. * The Non-Lethal Claymore Mine (NLCM) is positioned with the label reading: "Front towards the Enemy" and is designed for crowd dispersal and vehicle protection. The lethal 800 metal ballbearings of the Vietnam vintage claymore mine have been replaced with small rubber balls. * The Speed Bump is a device that uses a net with vinyl webbing strong enough to capture a speeding car. Recent tests have demonstrated that the net can snare a 2.5 tonne vehicle travelling at speeds of up to 100kph and stop it within 80 metres. * The Ground Vehicle Stopper (GVS) is a high-power microwave device that is designed to disable to electronic components of a vehicle. Two options are available: a remotely transmitted signal can be used or the device can be attached to a vehicle and provide an injection of pulsed power. Either way, the vehicle will skid to aa abrupt halt within seconds. * CLADS is a vehicle mounted system designed to launch up to 20 canisters carrying non-lethal payloads. The payloads include concertina wire, bounding nets and foul smelling substances that will quickly deny access to large areas. Typical scenarios could be the rapid creation of perimeters or the protection of high-value assets towards which hostile crowds might be advancing. Globalisation is the new paradigm for the world at the start of the 21st century. During the Cold War era, the conflict between East and West was clearly understood and the Iron Curtain demarcated social as well as political boundaries. Yet, globalisation encourages competition and the need to supply a vast international customer base to maintain market share.Because Globalisation can threaten one's political and economic sensibilities, but also one's sense of identity. As such, growing resistance to globalisation will characterise the first two decades of the 21st century. To counter these threats, the forces of Law and Order will require mechanisms to ensure the security of assets. This security needs to be balanced with the beliefs of society, but such beliefs are changing at an exponential rate. The use of non-lethal weaponry is simply a stop gap before the escalation to full scale warfare. As the old joke went: "I don't know about the Third World War, but the Fourth World War will be fought with bows and arrows." Non-lethal weaponry is yet another means by which we can all fight for peace ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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