Weapons that once were meant only for police use increasingly are finding their way into military units in Iraq and elsewhere. These so-called "non-lethal" weapons have seen their share of controversy, but, nevertheless, experts predict that the challenges of urban combat will force U.S. commanders to increase their reliance on devices that temporarily disable suspected enemies, but do not necessarily kill. The need for these systems was made more evident after British troops and Iraqi police shot and killed Iraqi civilians during a January protest in southern town of Amarah. Experts note that the political costs of using lethal force on unarmed civilians justify the need for a variety of non-lethal systems that can be adapted to different crowd-control scenarios. The solution is an array of "scalable" weapons that range from non-lethal to less-lethal and, if necessary, lethal force, within the rules of engagement, said Bo Barbour, program support officer for non-lethal weapons at the Army Futures Center, Training and Doctorate Command, Fort Monroe, Va.
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