Israel's 'bomb squad pigs'

news.bbc.co.uk ^ | Thursday, 2 October, 2003, 18:11 GMT 19:11 UK | David Chazan

[Destro]

Last Updated: Thursday, 2 October, 2003, 18:11 GMT 19:11 UK

Israel's 'bomb squad pigs'

By David Chazan

BBC, London

In Israel, a new weapon is being tested to try to foil bomb attacks - pigs which sniff out explosives.

While a ban on eating pork is one of the strongest taboos for Muslims and Jews alike, a young Israeli believes he has found a new use for the farmyard animal.

It is the pet project of Geva Zion, a former Israeli army dog trainer.

He believes it may be easier to train pigs than sniffer dogs.

"The pigs work and understand very quickly, maybe half of the time of the dogs.

"Dogs must be trained when they are puppies, with the pigs we don't need it, because they like to eat and they like to dig."

Religious ban

After three years of the Palestinian intifada, security is a thriving business in Israel.

Security checks are a way of life.

But because of religious taboos, Geva Zion knows it is going to be a challenge convincing Israelis to employ sniffer pigs.

"In Israel we say if you don't eat the pigs there's no problem, so this is my hope.

"Maybe it can succeed even in Israel, [but] in Muslim, countries I don't think so."

Given those obstacles, Geva Zion says he hopes to market the pigs' services to countries plagued by leftover mines in Africa and the Balkans.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/3159010.stm

Published: 2003/10/02 18:11:24 GMT

[cookcounty]

I remember visiting an orthodox synagogue and suddenly wondering what kind of leather my shoes were made of. Then I started to worry that perhaps my reddish soft leather belt was pigskin. I felt so uncomfortable, I pulled my feet back under the bench so no one could see my shoes.

Strange true stories from real life.

[DarthMaulrulesok]

An interesting article.

It reminds me of another use for pigs which I believe the US used during the Phillipine Insurrection in the early 1900's. If I remember correctly, US Army forces were troubled by Muslum terror troops and decided on direct action when they caught a few.

The Muslums were made to dig their own graves and several pigs were brought out. They pigs were slaughtered and cooked on site. The senior officer then organized a firing squad and said:"when we execute you we will bury you with the offal of the pigs. You will NEVER see paradise."

The muslums were then shot, except for one who was released to tell his comrades the tale. Terror activity in the vicinity of the US Army in that area promptly stopped. Perhaps a lesson for today?

[Nachum]

Wouldn't play. There is no death penalty in Israel and the Jewish libs there would have a cow (no pun intended) if this was ever suggested.

[DarthMaulrulesok]

Dear Sir:

You are of course correct, Israel has no death penalty. Given that she is at war with an Islamic nation determined to (literally) wipe her off the map, perhaps that law should be changed. (In my humble opinion (IMHO?) there is very little moral difference between "Hashasin Terrorists" and the national socialist variety, except of course the latter were far better organized.

[kennedyd]

I'm shocked the animal rights activists aren't all over this one. Where's PETA when you need them? Maybe ALF will free thousands of minks in Israel as protest.

I think that PETA is no fan of ALF. Remember cat juice?

[ChefKeith]

Speaking of pigs, maybe We could send them x42 and the witch as the lead team...

[Ichneumon]

Would a pig eat people anyway?

Yes. Pigs will eat anything, pretty much, and are definitely not just vegetarians.