UK In Danger From Electromagnetic Bomb, Says Defense Secretary 268
judgecorp writes "Britain must build defenses against an EMP bomb, the UK Secretary of Defense Phillip Hammond told a conference today. Electromagnetic Pulse devices mimic the result of a solar flare or a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere, creating a storm of electromagnetic radiation, which can break mobile networks and satellite systems. Any preparation for solar storms must also consider the possibility of deliberate electromagnetic events, warns Hammond."
US and UK, best friends forever (Score:4, Insightful)
We're in danger from everything and we need (Score:5, Insightful)
..an infinite amount of money to protect us.
Seriously. If the ministry of defence thinks we need to protect from this they can evaluate it up against other threats and spend their existing money accordingly.
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:4, Insightful)
Pedant's corner (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:5, Insightful)
What is your supporting evidence that the rest of the world is living in peace? Syria? Libya? North Korea? Iran? Or some combination of all of them?
There are other countries too. Cherrypicking the 4 unsafest countries is not going to convince me that the world is at war.
Anyway, I am not buying the latest scaremongering story that demands we spend more on defense.
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:5, Insightful)
The rest of the world lives in peace?
You're delusional, my good chap.
There are genocides in Africa, civil unrest and brutal crushing of riots across the largely dictator-led Middle East and North Africa, Israel-Palestine conflict, drug fueled organized crime in Central and South America threatening to tear countries apart, China and India crushing and slowly eradicating Tibet and Nepal, tribal warfare, civil war in tribal areas of Pakistan, in South Philippines, genocide in West Papua.
Re:We're in danger from everything and we need (Score:5, Insightful)
Let me explain something to you.
A few years ago a substantial part of the research division of the Ministry of Defence was privatised (!) as a mysterious firm called "Qinetiq" and now much of it belongs to US businesses (!!). This research arm then sells back to the MoD at a profit.
The absurd arrangement means that a great part of the MoD's remit is now to provide corporate welfare to the US "defense" industry. If the MoD say they need something, what they actually mean is that one of their friends is selling something.
If you thought that the US government was corrupt, they are nothing on the UK. Over the last fifteen years our government's only progress has been a year on year increase in the amount of money it channels to private businesses.
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:4, Insightful)
The coming Olympics are maybe an excuse^w reason? Or maybe we should prohibit the 8 seasons of Jack Bauer / 24 to be sold in the UK?
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:3, Insightful)
For me, both China and Russia seem much more peaceful than US.
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:4, Insightful)
Seriously, are all the threats realistic
Um, no. The amount of energy needed to generate a worthwhile EMP is in the nuclear bomb/solar flare range.
If you're a terrorist with that much energy in a transportable package the last thing you'll be thinking of doing with it is taking out a couple of cellphone towers.
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's see:
* Syria hasn't started any wars that I know of. It is, however, being threatened with war by the US, UK, and France.
* Libya didn't start any wars, either. It was attacked by the US, UK, and France.
* North Korea is ruled by a dictator who oppresses his people but hasn't started any wars.
* Iran hasn't started any wars but has certainly been attacked by a US proxy.
So what does that tell us about which countries want to live in peace, and which ones don't?
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:5, Insightful)
What's unsafe about Iran? And why is it not peaceful? I don't remember Iran invading other countries and building military bases all over the world.
Get a fucking clue.
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:3, Insightful)
What's especially ironic is that Iran had a democratically elected government until it was deposed of by the US in operation Ajax.
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:5, Insightful)
Could you please citate any real warmongering that China or Russia have done?.
Could you please hop over to Google and lookup suggestions that turn up when you enter "Russian conquest of" or "Chinese territorial claims"? There are far too many to enumerate here.
Re:Non nuclear (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:US and UK, best friends forever (Score:2, Insightful)
added to the list of wars I'd like you to explain how the West was the one who started it:
* Serbs vs. Croats
* Serbs genocide against Turks
Let me hear the deep intrigue and mind-blowing web of conspiracy you conjure up to explain your own people killing women and children in the name of ethnic "cleansing".
"Cleansing", by the way, is a term first used (to describe genocide) by a Serb.