Non-Lethal Weapons: The Law and Policy of Revolutionary Technologies for the Military and Law Enforcement

by David A. Koplow

• ISBN13: 9780521674355
• ISBN10: 0521674352
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-03
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Too often, military and law enforcement authorities have found themselves constrained by inadequate weaponry. An emerging category of 'non-lethal weapons' carries promise for resolving this dilemma, proffering new capabilities for disabling opponents without inflicting death or permanent injury. This array of much more sophisticated technologies is being developed, and could emerge for use by soldiers and police in the near future. These augmented capabilities carry both immense promise and grave risks: they expand the power of law enforcement and military units, enabling them to accomplish assigned missions with greater finesse and reduced casualties. But they may also be misused - increasing maligned applications and inspiring leaders to over-rely upon a myth of 'bloodless combat'. This book explores the emerging world of non-lethal weapons by examining a series of case studies - recent real-world scenarios from five confrontations around the world where the availability of a modern arsenal might have made a difference.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(6)
The World of Non-Lethal Weapons	7	(28)
Defining ``Non-Lethal''	7	(3)
Traditional Forms of Non-Lethal Weapons	10	(2)
Modern Non-Lethal Weapon Concepts	12	(14)
Non-Lethal Missions	26	(9)
The Law of Non-Lethal Weapons	35	(18)
International Law on Non-Lethal Weapons	35	(12)
U.S. Law on Non-Lethal Weapon Development	47	(1)
U.S. Law on Police Use of Force	48	(5)
The FBI and the Davidians at Waco In 1993	53	(14)
Background on the Waco Confrontation	53	(3)
The Assault: April 19, 1993	56	(2)
What Might Have Been	58	(9)
The United Nations and the Rwandan Genocide in 1994	67	(21)
Background on the Rwanda Confrontation	68	(3)
The Assault: April-July 1994	71	(9)
What Might Have Been	80	(8)
The Peruvians and Tupac Amaru In Lima In 1996--1997	88	(12)
Background on the Lima Confrontation	88	(5)
The Assault: April 22, 1997	93	(2)
What Might Have Been	95	(5)
The Russians and the Chechens in Moscow In 2002	100	(13)
Background on the Moscow Confrontation	100	(2)
The Assault: October 26, 2002	102	(2)
What Might Have Been	104	(9)
The British and the Iraqis in Basra in 2003	113	(16)
Background on the Basra Confrontation	113	(7)
The Assault: April 6, 2003	120	(4)
What Might Have Been	124	(5)
Cautionary Considerations	129	(13)
Operational Constraints on Non-Lethal Weapons	130	(5)
The Danger of Proliferation	135	(4)
The Possibility of Overreliance on Non-Lethal Weapons	139	(3)
Recommendations and Conclusions	142	(25)
Select Bibliography	167	(24)
Index	191