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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

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almarst2003 - 11:08pm Mar 30, 2003 EST (# 10822 of 10826)

Wounded British soldiers condemn US 'cowboy' pilot - http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,926237,00.html

Staff and agencies Monday March 31, 2003

British soldiers injured when a US "tankbuster" aircraft attacked their convoy, killing one of their comrades, hit out angrily at the "cowboy" pilot today. Troops wounded in Friday's attack accused the A-10 Thunderbolt pilot of "incompetence and negligence" while others privately called for a manslaughter prosecution.

The comments came as America's most senior military official vowed to make it his quest to stop future "friendly fire" tragedies.

General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, apologised for the deadly error by the A-10 in southern Iraq.

He told BBC1's Breakfast With Frost: "It's the absolute saddest tragedy that any of us can experience.

"I don't think we have to live with situations like that, and one of my jobs has to be to ensure that we get the resources and the technical means to ensure that in the future this never, never happens again. And that will be my quest."

But the crews of the two British forward reconnaissance Scimitars which were attacked by the A-10 could not contain their anger.

Lance Corporal of Horse Steven Gerrard, speaking from his bed on the RFA Argus in the Gulf, said: "I can command my vehicle. I can keep it from being attacked. What I have not been trained to do is look over my shoulder to see whether an American is shooting at me."

LCoH Gerrard, the commander of the leading vehicle, described to Patrick Barkham of The Times how the deadly A-10 attack began.

The pilot made two swoops. "I will never forget that noise as long as I live. It is a noise I never want to hear again," he said.

"There was no gap between the bullets. I heard it and I froze. The next thing I knew the turret was erupting with white light everywhere, heat and smoke."

He added: "I'll never forget that A-10. He was about 50 metres off the ground. He circled, because he can turn on a 10 pence.

"He came back around. He was no more than 1,000 metres away when he started his attack run. He was about 500 metres away when he started firing."

On the back of one of the engineers' vehicles there was a Union Jack.

"It's about 18 inches wide by about 12 inches. For him to fire his weapons I believe he had to look through his magnified optics. How he could not see that Union Jack I don't know."

Packed with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as grenades, rifle rounds and flammable diesel fuel tanks, the front two Scimitars exploded into flames.

One of their comrades, Lance Corporal of Horse, Matty Hull, 25, was killed.

LCoH Gerrard also criticised the A-10 for shooting when there were civilians close by.

He said: "There was a boy of about 12 years old. He was no more than 20 metres away when the Yank opened up.

"He had absolutely no regard for human life.

jorian,

This one you can assign to ME.

almarst2003 - 11:18pm Mar 30, 2003 EST (# 10823 of 10826)

Protests today in Morocco, traditionally a US ally, showed what Mr Blair is up against. The demonstrations turned violent when 200,000 people marched against the US. Protesters carried coffins representing "Arab martyrs" and waved posters referring to Mr Bush as a "vampire of Arab blood".

Government ministers even took part in the demonstration in a country with traditionally strong ties with the US. In a signal of displeasure with America from the very top, King Mohammed VI yesterday announced the opening of a bank account to take in donations for "brother Iraqis".

Al-Ahram's editor Ibrahim Nafie, meanwhile, told readers that the war was "unjust" and that London and Washington were making their own "law of the jungle" by showing "disrespect" for the UN.

Mr Blair pledged that British military forces would withdraw from Iraq as soon as practicable and said that Britain hoped to see the early establishment of a transitional civilian administration.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mr Blair assured Arab readers that he wanted to see "real progress" on the Middle East peace process and that he and President George Bush would help deliver the road map for a lasting settlement for Israelis and Palestinians by 2005. "I genuinely believe the course we have taken will not only make the Middle East and the wider world a safer place but, by removing Saddam, will also be a blessing for all the Iraqi people," he said.

But while Mr Blair is pushing for a role for the UN in a post-Saddam Iraq, he faces US plans to turn Iraq into a virtual US protectorate.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,925989,00.html

THE PEACE WAS NOT A PART OF A WAR-GAME. ARROGANCE AND IGNORANCE - PLENTFULLY.

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