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McCain Wants Predators to Provide Wi-Fi for Iranians
Gizmodo, AFP ^ | June 26, 2009 | Jesus Diaz

Posted on 06/27/2009 5:13:15 AM PDT by SolidWood

Reportedly, Senator John McCain wants Predators to provide with uncensored Wi-Fi coverage to the people of Iran. I don't know if this is even technically possible, but its so preposterous and fantastically cool that I love the idea:

"During the Cold War, we provided the Polish people and dissidents with printing presses. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are the modern-day printing presses. They are the way to spread information and keep the hope of freedom alive amongst the Iranian people."

Of course, the Predators—or whatever other method—could be taken down with missiles or fighter planes, but the basic idea is spot on: Give everyone free access to information at any cost.

Free dissemination of information is one of the keys to the independence and freedom of citizens everywhere. Actually, I wish there was some kind of global Wi-Fi system—one that will allow any citizen in the world to access information freely, without intervention of dictators and authoritarian figures in China, North Korea, Iran, or Cuba.

Maybe some crazy nerds with loads of money could work on something like that. You know, like Paul Allen putting a buttload of money, Steve Wozniak leading a new space-based Wi-Fi hardware standard, and John Carmack providing with cheap rockets to launch satellites. [AFP]

(Excerpt) Read more at gizmodo.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Politics; Science; UFO's; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: iran; mccain; predators; wifi
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To: SolidWood
I really don't think this is a practical idea. You would need special RF transmit and receive capability and an associated modem that would be subject to jamming by the Iranian authorities and, in any case, not available at your local Tehran Radio Shack.

OTOH, we should increase Voice of America type transmissions into Iran from Iraq or elsewhere and, if I were President, start smuggling in weapons to selected groups. Not going to happen with Barak (AKA Rodney King) Obama as President.

21 posted on 06/27/2009 5:58:24 AM PDT by InterceptPoint
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To: justlurking

Its anything goes these days. Any crazy idea, ridiculous or even technically infeasible plan is worth spending billions of dollars on.


22 posted on 06/27/2009 5:58:59 AM PDT by o2bfree
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To: grey_whiskers

You don’t believe that information isn’t already known. None of that flight info is considered classified. What’s classified, is the data that is transmitted back.


23 posted on 06/27/2009 6:02:16 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: stuartcr
Why make it even *easier*...?
24 posted on 06/27/2009 6:04:28 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: SolidWood

Stupid idea....it would be so easy to jam a high school kid could do it.....


25 posted on 06/27/2009 6:13:17 AM PDT by nevergore ("It could be that the purpose of my life is simply to serve as a warning to others.")
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To: grey_whiskers

To accomplish a mission.

Location isn’t a factor because if someone has a signal, then they know it’s near anyway. All that other data, is insignificant. If the aircraft is just used for this purpose, then even shooting it down wouldn’t matter, because all they would get, is some commercial wi-fi equip. If someone wante to jam it, then they do. All that would need to be done, would be to change the aircraft location, and the jammer would be out of range. It’s not like any critical intel would be lost, just peoples connections.


26 posted on 06/27/2009 6:15:21 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: grey_whiskers
The man must have Alzheimers.

No, he has always been stupid.

27 posted on 06/27/2009 6:16:19 AM PDT by calex59
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To: stuartcr
You seem to be missing my point -- I'm not concerned with individual, specific Predator giving the Wi-Fi. My concern is that by using the Predators for trivial missions like this, we give away important performance characteristics and details of operational usage and parameters, which would NOT be otherwise readily available.

Which could then be used to devise counters for those Predators carrying (say) Hellfire missiles, or those "loitering" in theatre for long periods of time.

Cheers!

28 posted on 06/27/2009 6:20:59 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: grey_whiskers

I believe that information is already out there. I would imagine they would use the older, more expendable aircraft for a mission like this.


29 posted on 06/27/2009 6:49:59 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: stuartcr

As bad and fraudlent of a president Barry is one can only imagine what kind of Hell on Earth we in America would have if McCain were to be President.

McStooge is without a doubt clueless about any topic that affects the Well Being of American citizens.

Get the HOOK and Get that Clown off the stage......NOW!


30 posted on 06/27/2009 7:19:17 AM PDT by EnglishOnly (Fight all out to win OR get out now.)
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To: SolidWood
Matter of factly McCain didn't say we should use Predators. He said ‘They are the way to spread information’.Satellites Could do that.

If were up to me though I would set up something similar to the OSS to support pro democracy/anti islamic movements wordwide

they invented things like a printing press that would fit in a suitcase,as well as explosives that looked like flour or dog crap and other nasty surprises

31 posted on 06/27/2009 7:28:08 AM PDT by Charlespg
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To: EnglishOnly

I don’t think he’s going away anytime soon.


32 posted on 06/27/2009 7:48:49 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: SolidWood
It could be done but the Iranian Government could jam those Wi-Fi signals quite easily.Otherwise I'd say Great Go and do it.Anything to P-off the Iranian Government.

We have been treating them with kids gloves for way too long.We still owe them some payback for the our troops they have killed in terror attacks they sponsored.

33 posted on 06/27/2009 7:56:27 AM PDT by puppypusher (The world is going to the Dogs.)
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To: SolidWood

He deserves some credit. It’s an interesting idea. There are a lot of different planes that could be used; we wouldn’t have to use the most advanced models.

I don’t know how you get the uplink, though. Satellite requires some setup. You could maybe run the WAPs on solar, but that gets expensive. Maybe the planes are merely a delivery system for satellite Internet systems, and we rely on the locals to set them up (Farsi instructions included, of course).


34 posted on 06/27/2009 8:02:20 AM PDT by B Knotts (Calvin Coolidge Republican)
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To: bamahead

He’s nuts. The idea is impractical and stupid, to say the least.


35 posted on 06/27/2009 9:25:54 AM PDT by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
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To: SolidWood
Best idea he's had since choosing Sarah Palin. I do, however, recognize the danger of hosting such a worthwhile facility on the Predator. I think balloons or similar low-tech platforms would pose less risk of important American technology falling into radical Muslim hands (I mean, in addition to the radical Muslim hands currently squatting in the White House).


36 posted on 06/27/2009 9:40:44 AM PDT by Costumed Vigilante (Stuff 0be back into the Madhi well in Qom from whence he oozed.)
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To: SolidWood

I don’t know if John McCain is serious but undoubtedly the CIA does things in the Mideast every day that would seem even more implausible.


37 posted on 06/27/2009 11:30:02 AM PDT by Ipberg
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
[this part is NOT McCain's words]
Of course, the Predators -- or whatever other method -- could be taken down with missiles or fighter planes, but the basic idea is spot on: Give everyone free access to information at any cost... Maybe some crazy nerds with loads of money could work on something like that. You know, like Paul Allen putting a buttload of money, Steve Wozniak leading a new space-based Wi-Fi hardware standard, and John Carmack providing with cheap rockets to launch satellites.
Better to use UAVs to knock out the mullahcracy and help the Iranian people free themselves.
38 posted on 06/27/2009 6:45:24 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: SolidWood

Although Israel is far away from Iran, it has significant capacity to help the demonstrators. It could use its communication satellites to break through the communications blackout the regime has attempted to enforce. Its Internet capabilities can be offered to the protesters to reopen closed networks. Israel could temporarily expand its radio broadcasts into the country and allow its airwaves to be used to broadcast events on the ground in real time so that protesters won’t have to rely on word of mouth to know what is happening or where things are leading.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276330/posts


39 posted on 06/27/2009 8:58:01 PM PDT by dervish (I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself)
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