BREAKING NEWS!!! SADDAM ATTACKING PREMPTIVELY???

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[Aeronaut]

But probably not copper wire and a plunger.

I doubt if you could simultaneously light up 700 charges with that type of system.

[ladtx]

...bombs that deliver enough of an EMP to 'knock out' electronics are hydrogen (fusion) bombs in the multi-tens of megaton range, exploded high in the atmosphere. Are you suggesting that that's what US forces will do? You're delusional

Not true, the military has been working on a High-Powered Microwave (HPM) weapon that can be mounted on aircraft and cruise missiles.
They have a short, intense burst of energy that is intended to be lethal to electronics but have no effect on people.

I've seen reports of them from several sources including the History Channel. If I'm not mistaken they are ready for use.

[wgeorge2001]

"The thought is that Saddam is about to attack our troops."


Doesn't he have to get the U.N. to sanction him before he can do this? I suppose that Kofi will have to declare him in violation of U.N. mandate.
Or will Saddam get the free pass given to all dictatorships world wide?

[GraniteStateConservative]

I'm suggesting that the Pentagon is ready to show off a weapon system that basicly brings down lightning bolts on targeted areas. It's the latest smart weapon courtesy of Livermore and Los Alamos.

No, I'm not delusional. What in hell do you think all those Pentagon dollars have been spent on? Overpriced hammers and toilet seats? OK, well, that and these cool new weapons.

[babyface00]

I'm just an unsophisticated Alabama girl. Are you saying that an e-bomb can actually interfere with or stop these explosions? If so, fan-freepin-tastic.

There are some big "ifs". EMPs effect is to overload the very tiny circuits in items like ICs (integrated circuits; chips) and, I believe, transistors. No effect on regular switches, vacuum tubes, wires, etc. Also, vulnerable devices can be "hardened" to a degree to protect them from EMP.

An interesting observation; if a nuclear device were to be detonated over a major city, essentially all modern vehicles (with computerized engine management systems) would be rendered disabled, but all the old beaters with points ignition (up to the early 70's) would run just fine (assuming they survived the blast).

[GraniteStateConservative]

You also need engineers to really blow up these oil fields. It's part of the safety mechanisms of them. I'm not convinced that these people would destroy their livelihood. They'll need to keep these fields running after the war regardless of who is in power.

[biblewonk]

Looks like he has decided losing is to his advantage.

Bingo! It's to his advantage to lose a couple of million civies. It puts him an some kind of higher moral ground to people like the french.

[Sacajaweau]

You must be young. The Suez crisis was in 1956, I believe.

[azhenfud]

Not exactly.

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/kopp/apjemp.html

[SuziQ]

Does that mean we get to go to war without a UN resolution?!!

Sure would make it a lot simpler!

[elfman2]

It may just be the regular army that's deploying. He wants to get them out of the way so that their immediate and massive surrender in the desert is more of a problem for us than the moral within the Republican Guard of Baghdad.

I bet they're being deployed with just a few days of supplies. His people are not stupid.

[null and void]

I think an E-bomb would be just as likely to set them all off.

They ask people to turn off two way radios in blasting zones.

Maybe an E-Bomb at HQ and not near the wells?

[Aeronaut]

Maybe an E-Bomb at HQ and not near the wells?

That is what I had in mind. 1 bomb vs. 700 bombs.

[Aeronaut]

Link to article in Popular Mechanics.

Link to article in The Weekly Standard.

[null and void]

You also need engineers to really blow up these oil fields. It's part of the safety mechanisms of them. I'm not convinced that these people would destroy their livelihood. They'll need to keep these fields running after the war regardless of who is in power.

Imagine you are an Iraqi roughneck. You work on the well. The well is wired up to incinerate you at someone else's wim. How hard would it be to "accidently" break the wire leading up to the explosives?...

[GraniteStateConservative]

Another good point.

[Marysecretary]

Sounds like a good stratergy.

[Marysecretary]

That's my guess, too. Israel won't sit still for it either. They'll have their planes and soldiers right along with us. M

[Marysecretary]

We're trading out dish in for regular cable come May. It's a pain.

[Marysecretary]

Don't worry, they'll still say it's OUR fault because we were threatening Saddam. Go figure.