Dolphins with Frickin Laserbeams attached to their heads?!?!?!

[drewblood]

Armed and dangerous - Flipper the firing dolphin let loose by Katrina

by Mark Townsend Houston
Sunday September 25, 2005
The Observer


It may be the oddest tale to emerge from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Armed dolphins, trained by the US military to shoot terrorists and pinpoint spies underwater, may be missing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Experts who have studied the US navy's cetacean training exercises claim the 36 mammals could be carrying 'toxic dart' guns. Divers and surfers risk attack, they claim, from a species considered to be among the planet's smartest. The US navy admits it has been training dolphins for military purposes, but has refused to confirm that any are missing.

Dolphins have been trained in attack-and-kill missions since the Cold War. The US Atlantic bottlenose dolphins have apparently been taught to shoot terrorists attacking military vessels. Their coastal compound was breached during the storm, sweeping them out to sea. But those who have studied the controversial use of dolphins in the US defence programme claim it is vital they are caught quickly.

Leo Sheridan, 72, a respected accident investigator who has worked for government and industry, said he had received intelligence from sources close to the US government's marine fisheries service confirming dolphins had escaped.

'My concern is that they have learnt to shoot at divers in wetsuits who have simulated terrorists in exercises. If divers or windsurfers are mistaken for a spy or suicide bomber and if equipped with special harnesses carrying toxic darts, they could fire,' he said. 'The darts are designed to put the target to sleep so they can be interrogated later, but what happens if the victim is not found for hours?'

Usually dolphins were controlled via signals transmitted through a neck harness. 'The question is, were these dolphins made secure before Katrina struck?' said Sheridan.

The mystery surfaced when a separate group of dolphins was washed from a commercial oceanarium on the Mississippi coast during Katrina. Eight were found with the navy's help, but the dolphins were not returned until US navy scientists had examined them.

Sheridan is convinced the scientists were keen to ensure the dolphins were not the navy's, understood to be kept in training ponds in a sound in Louisiana, close to Lake Pontchartrain, whose waters devastated New Orleans.

The navy launched the classified Cetacean Intelligence Mission in San Diego in 1989, where dolphins, fitted with harnesses and small electrodes planted under their skin, were taught to patrol and protect Trident submarines in harbour and stationary warships at sea.

Criticism from animal rights groups ensured the use of dolphins became more secretive. But the project gained impetus after the Yemen terror attack on the USS Cole in 2000. Dolphins have also been used to detect mines near an Iraqi port.

[killerkat]

interesting....but it IS from the observer,man....come on....




although i know they have dolphins and seals for bomb detection,but guns...riiiiiggghhhttt...

[Dark Z]

Somehow, even if we had Uuber Dolphins in the Arsenal, I can't Imagine that the Military would leave a clip of ammo in them and just leave them there.

[Spaceman Spiff]

What happens if the renigade dolphins go out and recruit other dolphins and begin fashoning crude weaponry to their necks. Then they could band togeathor and take over the US, we would be enslaved by our own tools of war. *wakes up in a cold sweat*
Oh, thank god it was only a dream... yes just a terrible dream.

I think I have to pitch a movie to someone, I'll be right back.

[evilassmaster]

I say stop reading the observer

[killerkat]

I say stop reading the observer

exactly

[ForrestBlack]

Great, just what we need... FLIPPER 007...

[Amelia G]

I should have continued with life science and gone into government work like my mom told me to. Then I could work for the military training dolphins to do my nefarious bidding!

[RobLongshot]

who said you need to be in the government to do that.....
mwuhahahahahaha

[Vitorro]

The Terminflipper....

[Ashender Wraithwalker]

OMG come on all those dolphins are trained to do is find underwater explosives =P The reason for that is that they can approach them without em going BOOM unlike a ship. Besides if you have gate guards standing sentry watch at the front gates with empty guns for "safety reasons" I doubt no stinking dolphin gets a loaded weapon hehe