Marines In Iraq Decry Lack Of Laser System (simple device to save civ lifes

http://www.tbo.com/news/nationworld/MGB965OALXE.html

Marines In Iraq Decry Lack Of Laser System



TAMPA - Civilian casualties in Iraq's volatile Anbar province would have been greatly reduced over the past 20 months if an inexpensive, hand-held laser system had been sent to the Marines operating there, according to a series of e-mail messages between troops in the field and acquisition officials in suburban Washington.

The decision to deny delivery of the Compact High Power Laser Dazzler has touched off an internal debate, the messages reveal, with highly charged phrases such as "unnecessary carnage" being used to describe the situation.

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The dazzler is a nonlethal tool for steering unwelcome vehicles and people away from U.S. checkpoints and convoys. Without it, U.S. forces must open fire when Iraqis fail to heed warning signals and get too close.

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In June 2005, Marine Corps leaders in western Iraq filed an "urgent universal need" request for several hundred of LE Systems' dazzlers, which cost about $8,000 each. The request, which was repeated less than a year later, has gone unfulfilled.

..more at link...

away)

to not have the Marines there at all.

I don't care what they say about these new "non-lethal" weapons for crowd control. They are harmful and they should be banned by law otherwise they'll use them on us.

of the pervasive American attitude: reducing risk to Americans is acceptable at any cost to others. That's what got us into the war (slight risk of Saddam attacking us = right to invade their country).

Get down on the street and talk to these people. We're going to lose more in the short run, but in the long run we will prevail. Instead of seeing Marines hiding behind bunkers aiming lasers at them, Iraqis will see soldiers who are willing to accept risk to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Our inability to accept risk is killing us.

Or just the manufacturer of the hand held device?

so this is not from a manufacturer.

The latter makes it sound like a kids sparkler you might buy on a midway.