DEFENSE: Non-lethal WeaponsAuthor: Esther PanFebruary 27, 2004What are non-lethal weapons?How are they different from regular weapons?Would NLW have applications in Iraq?What are the most commonly used NLW?ChemicalBlunt ImpactDiversionaryAnti-vehicleWhat are NLW most useful for?Who uses them?Would wider use of NLW help U.S. soldiers in Iraq?Why isn't NLW use more widespread in Iraq?Could NLW help establish order in Iraq?What other types of NLW might be useful in Iraq?Is there support for NLW in the military and Washington?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------What are non-lethal weapons?Non-lethal weapons (NLW) are intended to incapacitate people and equipment while limiting unnecessary loss of life and damage to property and the environment. Some NLW deliver blows or electric shocks, spread slippery material that makes roads impassable, or disperse rapid-hardening foam to limit access to or disable machinery. Non-lethal weapons, some already available and some in development, can also disable explosive devices and block radio or television broadcasts.How are they different from regular weapons?Most armaments designed for military use destroy targets through blast, fragmentation, or penetration, according to a 1999 Council on Foreign Relations Independent Task Force Report,"Non-lethal Technologies: Progress and Prospects." (A new, updated task force report on non-lethal weapons was released in February 2004.) Experts say NLW, by contrast, have reversible, temporary effects."Most of what's available today is relatively short-range, blunt-impact kinetic munitions," says Marine Colonel David P. Karcher, director of the Defense Department's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD)."They're essentially improved versions of what a city police department would have."Would NLW have applications in Iraq?Yes. In Iraq, U.S. soldiers face guerrilla warfare, the use of human shields, and so-called intermingled targets--assailants hiding in crowds of innocent people or tanks parked next to hospitals or schools. NLW could effectively target attackers without causing unnecessary loss of life or property damage, experts say.What are the most commonly used NLW?Experts say there is a wide range of NLW available for use, including:
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