[R-390] Info Please

[mikea]

On Wed, Mar 31, 2004 at 09:04:48AM -0600, Harry Joel wrote:
> My frustration watching the near daily reporting of casualties by bombing is getting worse!
> There are knowledgable members on this list that could offer information relating to the ongoing death of US army and civilian personnel in Iraq (to-day: 5 soldiers, 8 civilians).
> Fact: Most of the bombs are set off by radio transmission 
> Fact: Transmitters used are cell phones or R/C toy cars
> Fact: A recent TV news clip showed GI emptying a dead terrorist's suitcase and removed
>          two or more R/C toy cars
> I have never heard any news comments about the possible use of short range jamming devices in armed forces or civilian vehicles. 
> The frequencies transmitted are known. 
> Question: How much would it cost to built such a jammer? SHould this be a high priority item for the pentagon people?
> Has anyone heard about such jammers already being used, and if so, why dont they work.
> Sorry to interrupt the regular scheduled program.

It's already being done, I'm told. The radio techs have been building
jammers for those freqs from spare parts. I suspect that there will be
"official" jammers in the supply chain Real Soon Now. I don't know if 
the cellphone infrastructure is functional in any part of Iraq, but we
can expect cellphone-triggered bombs as soon as it is, just like those
in Madrid. 

And yes, it's intensely frustrating to me. 

-- 
Mike Andrews
mikea@mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin