U.S.'S SECRET WEAPON AGAINST IRAQ (electromagnetic pulse bomb)

Newsmax Insider Report ^ | 8/29/02 | Limbacher

[dead]

Last week when President Bush met with the ever proper, suit-clad Donald Rumsfeld in Crawford, Texas, he met with the press and told them that when the time comes, a full discussion will reveal all the facts about Iraq.

President Bush offered a litany of factors that will be fully discussed, including, he said, "new technologies."

The buzz in Washington is that Bush was referring to a new weapon the Pentagon plans to use against Iraq, with devastating effect.

The new weapon is known as an "EMP" or electromagnetic pulse bomb. Such a weapon is not new to military planners.

When a nuclear device is exploded, it emits a powerful EMP that blows transistors and electric circuits for hundreds of miles. A successful EMP will knock out all electrical and communication systems. Even cars and trucks will stop working. Modern life will come to a screeching halt.

Apparently, the U.S. has perfected a weapon that emits a powerful EMP without the nuclear blast.

A Washington insider says such a weapon over Baghdad would likely collapse Saddam's command and control instantly.

"Saddam's Republican Guard won't even be able to use walk talkies," the insider tells NewsMax.com.

[Marysecretary]

Yeah, doesn't it really grind at ya when all these SECRETS are revealed so they aren't secret anymore? There HAS to be some purpose behind it, doesn't there? A NON-SECRET SECRET. Hmmmm.

[DK Zimmerman]

Actually, despite all the preceding comments, I'm unsure about the effect upon fiber.

I have seen absolutely nothing on it, but light has its wave-particle duality and is part of the same spectrum. I simply would be unwilling to bet on it one way or the other.

It would make for an interesting experiment.

[Marysecretary]

Now WHY would the Chinese be as far along as we are? Couldn't be cuz Clinton sold or gave them secret information, now, could it. NAH, it couldn't be. He was our president and his first duty is to protect our nation. NAH.

[StockAyatollah]

They did this in the re-make of Ocean's 11. I guess NewsMax watches the movies to come up with their Top Secret Exclusive Breaking News Bulletin Cover Stories. What a joke!

[dead]

They did this in the re-make of Ocean's 11.

Good thing nobody saw it!

[dennisw]

Most modern US military hardware is shielded to withstand a certain amount. I would assume the Russian/Chinese makers are about as far along as we are in this respect.

My guess is some of the electronics is shielded in the radar/ missile batteries/control centers.... but not enough. The weakest links will be knocked out by fried electronics.

Shielding is done by using vacuum tube electronics/ by lead shielding/ my shielding with other metals. Someone correct me if I am wrong....

[steve50]

My concern is that a klintoon can't sell military secrets by himself, it takes high level help to get that information and hide the transfer, it's not in a desk in the WH.. Many of the people with access are more or less lifetime political hacks, and we refuse to investigate.

[Poohbah]

EMP effects realiably lethal to electronics are also going to be reliably lethal to a large part of the civilian population in the immediate area (imagine sticking your head in a microwave oven, jimmying the safety interlock, and turning the thing on at full power).

You've said some foolish and absurd things before, Poohbah, but this just takes the cake.

How so?

This is a known factor in EMP warhead employment and targeting, and has been commented on in more than one Air Force study (the best coverage is the AF2025 study report that covers a Global Area Strike System).

[dinasour]

imagine sticking your head in a microwave oven, jimmying the safety interlock, and turning the thing on at full power

 

 

Sorry, sometimes I just can't help myself.

[pepsionice]

For those seeking a common sense explanation of what EMP will do to the Iraqi people. Modern civilization ends for those under the EMP umbrella. If you detonate one above Chicago, then everything with 200 miles that is electronic in nature is gone, permanently unless you go out and buy new parts, cable, tv`s, etc. No truck will move. No missile will fire. No radar will function. No hydroelectric dam will produce. No nuke test lab will work. No anthrax test and develop center can operate. No resturant can function, unless you have a plain fire and pots and pans. Life becomes a pretty difficult thing. And for Saddam, it means no communications with anyone unless you send a motorcade to convey your message. You won't see taped interviews or satellite feeds for days if not weeks. Even CNN folks on the ground will back to 1900s if this occurs. This weapon doesn't kill folks, but it will sure make them think about the modern world and how little they really they are in it. Life will never be the same, and the good news is...you didn't kill a single Iraqi with a single missile. They did it to themselves.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

"Gee...I wish we had one of those Doomsday Machines."

[michigander]

Threats Posed by Electromagnetic Pulse to U.S. Military Systems and Civilian Infrastructure
July 16, 1997 House Military Research & Development Subcommittee

• Opening Statement of the Honorable Curt Weldon
• George W. Ullrich, Deputy Director, Defense Special Weapons Agency
• Gary L. Smith, Director, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Road
• Gilbert I. Klinger, Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Space)
• Robert T. Marsh, Chairman, President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection
• Lowell Wood, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory
• Nelson Degangi CIA Representative
  HEARING TRANSCRIPT

[Poohbah]

If you detonate one above Chicago, then everything with 200 miles that is electronic in nature is gone, permanently unless you go out and buy new parts, cable, tv`s, etc.

Wrong. The lethality effects of EMP are unpredictable in the extreme.

[Vermont Lt]

Fiber is just really, really cool glass. The beauty of it that it has virtually not capacity limits and that it can go a long, long way without the signal being boosted or retransmitted.

The lasers on either end (they turn the light on and off--making 0's and 1's) will be significnatly affected by the EMP.

The fiber itself would be no more affected than the jar that holds the jelly in your fridge.

[Poohbah]

LOL!

[DK Zimmerman]

Mostly. In solid state electronics, materials and some non-industry standard techniques can also provide some protection. But that's the cost problem. Our computers etc are so cheap because they can make runs of thousands at a time. Going for "special" chips magnifies the costs enormously and lags a bit.

You think Congress screamed over a $10,000 toilet seat, what do you think they would do if today, we paid $200,000 each for a bunch (say 300) of 386 or 486 chips?

[myself6]

I hate to tell you this, But as a former Navy Electronics tech 1st class, ALL critical naval electronic equipment is "hardend" against EMP.

[AdA$tra]

EMP won't affect fiber.

Just everything plugged into it!

[Poohbah]

Actually, the EMP problem looks like it's on its way to resolution in the next 15-20 years thanks to...

High-definition television.

Seems that HDTV transmitters need lots of solid-state electronics, but that the transmitter output would be enough to zap ordinary ICs. The solution: instead of your basic silicon wafers, the HDTV system uses silicon carbide components, which can function just fine in a high-intensity RF environment. EMPing these chips would be several orders of magnitude more difficult.

[AdA$tra]

We're just one tiny step away from an electrochemical pulse bomb that will re-boot the human brain for a thousand miles around Mecca and Medina.

I thought that is what HAARP was supposed to do. Better ask Chuck Harder or Art Bell.