Recap

War, Drugs & Terrorism

During the first three hours, expert on military strategy & non-lethal weapons Col. John Alexander discussed his research into the interactive effects of war, crime and disenfranchised populations.

South America is producing more casualties than in Iraq, he said. The violent crime rate has been extremely high in Sao Paolo and Rio, and was partially fueled by a law that those under 18 couldn't be charged with a crime. Relating this to American security, he outlined how terrorists and members from Hezbollah are arriving in South America, training in Mexico, and then passing undetected through the US border. Leaders in Venezuela and several other South American countries view the United States as imperialistic and meddlesome, he noted.

The war in Iraq has been a "strategic debacle," a high-ranking official reportedly told Alexander-- and the lack of a solid plan of what to do in the region after the war has created a major problem. He also touched on the failure of the War on Drugs-- large well-publicized drug busts have not made a dent in the drug trade. Drugs, he added, provide the single biggest funding of terrorism.

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No Pain Ray in Iraq

In Iraq, use of the non-lethal weapon known as the Active Denial System has been 'denied' by the Pentagon, even though US military commanders have repeatedly requested its deployment. The System-- a mounted ray-gun that shoots a pain-causing invisible beam, can be used to disperse angry crowds or mobs, without bullets. The Pentagon is concerned that the public would view this weapon as a kind of torture device. For recent articles on this topic, see The Scotsman and Danger Room.