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To: E. Charters who wrote (89130)	8/27/2002 9:28:44 PM
From: Richnorth	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116756

US could use E-bomb to knock out Iraq The radio frequency weapon can disable electronic and electrical systems without killing people LONDON - The United States is planning to hit Mr Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons sites with an E-bomb that can knock out electronic and electrical systems without any loss of lives, the Telegraph reported on Monday. The bomb, being developed at a secret site in England, is a 'radio frequency weapon' that sends out a high-intensity radio wave similar to the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear blast. It can be delivered in a variety of ways such as by cruise missile, smart bomb, or by unmanned aerial vehicles which were used extensively during the war in Afghanistan. As the E-bomb approaches its target, an array of aerials spring out and its capacitors discharge themselves, sending out a burst of high-powered microwave energy that will disable electrical and electronic systems. According to the newspaper, the E-bomb may solve one of the biggest headaches facing allied troops should they attack Iraq. With nothing to lose, Mr Saddam will most certainly use his weapons of mass destruction. Bombing the weapons sites would only spread the chemical or biological agents, killing innocent Iraqi civilians and endangering the allied forces themselves. The Telegraph reported that the E-bomb could cripple the plants' refrigeration and computer systems, ensuring that the weapons could not be used effectively. It can even disrupt chemical and biological weapons stored in underground bunkers, as its radio pulse can penetrate down the bunkers' power and ventilation ducts. American defence sources told the newspaper that they were keen on acquiring the E-bomb for immediate deployment in any attack on Iraq, although the weapon is still in the final stages of development by the novel technology department of Matra BAe Dynamics. Theoretically, the bomb can also be used to bring civilian infrastructure to a complete standstill, shutting down national electricity grids, stopping telephone, radio and television systems. This is the 'nightmare scenario' many military analysts have predicted in the event of a high-technology war, where the enemy can disable the radio, radar, and computer systems which modern defences are dependent on. When news emerged that Russia was close to producing the first E-bomb, it sparked a race to build similar weapons and devise counter-measures against such bombs, the Telegraph reported.