yes / In the UK at present Taser electrical stun weapons can only be used by trained firearms officers in situations where the use of firearms is also authorised. But the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is asking for these `non-lethal¿ weapons to be made more widely available to other police officers. If this is agreed there will be significant implications for the use of force by police in the UK. In July 2005 the Home Office Minister, Hazel Blears, had stated that the Taser was a dangerous weapon and not appropriate for wider use. The rationale behind the deployment of `non-lethal¿ or `less-lethal¿ weapons, such as the Taser, is to provide police officers with an alternative to lethal force for dangerous and lifethreatening situations they face. Wider availability of such weapons should, it is argued, further limit the need to resort to lethal firearms and thereby reduce incidence of serious injury and death. Over the past few months senior police officers have issued public statements that the Taser weapon should be made available to all officers on the beat. They argue that because police are facing dangerous individuals on an everyday basis, the Taser is required to protect their officers and deal with violent offenders without having to call in a firearms unit in certain situations. A crucial point about this proposal is that it would represent a scaling up in the `visible¿ arming of police officers in the UK. It is claimed by opponents that such an extended use of Taser would actually result in an increase in the level of force used by police in the UK, a concern also echoed by the Independent Police Complaints Committee (IPCC) in the minute of their 27 April 2005 `Casework and Investigations Committee¿ meeting.

yes / The NLW database illustrates the extensive and eclectic literature regarding NLWs which covers the last few decades. It currently contains over 250 entries. It is important to have access not only to the more recent material, but also to earlier sources since many of the general debates and controversies have already been rehearsed, and lessons learnt from them are still relevant today. Yet, it is also vital to follow new developments of NLWs closely because rapidly changing technology is producing weapons whose implications for integration into military and civil police forces have yet to be clearly defined and understood. Of particular interest are not only NLW applications for war fighting, but opportunities for deployment in peace enforcement and peace keeping missions. These technologies span many bases including: psycho-chemicals; unmanned weapons platforms and delivery systems; biogenetics; acoustic and microwave weapons; biological and chemical weapons; laser systems; kinetic energy ballistics; dual purpose (lethal/non-lethal) weapons; and, sprays and foams which inhibit movement. The database will keep up to date on these developments and future reports will highlight new issues and debates surrounding them. With these rapid technological advances come a series of associated dangers and concerns including: the ethics of use; implications for weapons control and disarmament treaties; military doctrine; public accountability and guidelines; dangers of misuse and proliferation; and, research and development strategies. Using the database, and drawing from military and non-military sources, this report will select the main current issues and debates within the non-lethal community. Bearing in mind that many operations undertaken by military forces are now more akin to policing actions (such as peace support operations) there are lessons to be learnt by military units from civil police experience. There still remains a tension between perceived benign and malign intent both in NLW operational use and non-lethal research and development.

ABSTRACT Toxicology and Health Aspects of Non-lethal Chemical Weapons. Non-lethal chemical weapons, which belong among the mass destruction weapons, have been one of the most frequently discussed topics recently. These weapons are able to disbar manpower or combat technology and weapons smartly and temporarily with minimum costs. The range of possible application of chemical weapons as non-lethal is probably wider compared to any other type, and there are a lot of means capable of immediate wide application nowadays. The possibility to produce highly efficient psychotropic substances with controllable action time, human immobilizing substances is particularly pointed out. The main aim of my work is to clarify the importance of non-lethal chemical weapons as possible means of suppressing inner turmoil and to find the extent of knowledge of non-lethal chemical weapons among the informed and the general public by means of obtained answers and follow-up research, then to confirm hypotheses that the informed public consider non-lethal chemical weapons to be combat means and weapon systems intended for temporary putting people out of combat or other intentional activity; that the general public perceive non-lethal chemical weapons as health endangering substances and have only limited information about them, by means of selected statistical methods. I chose questionnaire survey to examine awareness of the general and informed public of this matter. The statistic sets in both the groups consist of a hundred respondents from the city of České Budějovice. Stratified selection was performed for both the examined sets upon consultation with a member of the Fire Brigade in České Budějovice. In terms of threat to the population it is important to ensure its safety, namely upon the knowledge among the units of the Integrated Emergency System intervening in the instance of terroristic attack.

<p>Denna undersökning påvisar möjligheten att gradera verkan med stridsvagn 122 vid en insats i Sveriges insatsområde i Afghanistan. Hotbilden som råder gör att personalen måste ha ett gott skydd och möjlighet till verkan vilket stridsvagnen erbjuder. Tyngdpunkten i undersökningen ligger på modern 120 mm ammunition där Försvarsmaktens övningsammunition kan användas för att minska effekten i målet och på så sätt gradera verkan. På marknaden finns det ammunition som skulle komplettera redan befintlig ammunitionsportfölj framförallt på korta avstånd och då även med möjligheten att skjuta varningseld. Sekundärbeväpning (kulsprutor) på vagnen kan även den användas för att gradera verkan. Vidare finns det möjlighet att med rökkastarna verka med icke dödliga medel som tårgas och chockgranater då eskaleringen i en situation är låg. De olika vapensystem som undersökningen tar upp har värderats och placerats in i en eskaleringsmodell där lägsta nivån är att visa närvaro och högsta är verkanseld med flertalet vagnar.</p> / <p>The study indicates the possibility of obtaining scalable effects with Leopard 2A5 (S) in a mission in Sweden’s area of responsibility in Afghanistan. The threat that exists against the soldiers makes the ability to have good protection and possibility to obtain effect, which the Leopard 2A5 (S) offers, amust. The main part of the study stresses on modern 120 mm munitions in which the Swedish Armed Forces’ training munitions can be used to reduce the effect in a target and thus makes it a scalable effect. In the market there are munitions that would complement the existing portfolio of munitions, particularly at short distances, and with the ability to shoot warning shots. Secondary Armament (machine guns) on the tank can also be used to obtain a scalable effect. Furthermore, there is an opportunity to use the smoke launchers with non lethal means such as teargas and stun grenades when the level of escalation in a situation is low. The different weapon systems that is discussed in the study has been valued and placed into aescalation model where the lowest level is to show presence and the highest is fire for effect withmultiple tanks.</p>

Denna undersökning påvisar möjligheten att gradera verkan med stridsvagn 122 vid en insats i Sveriges insatsområde i Afghanistan. Hotbilden som råder gör att personalen måste ha ett gott skydd och möjlighet till verkan vilket stridsvagnen erbjuder. Tyngdpunkten i undersökningen ligger på modern 120 mm ammunition där Försvarsmaktens övningsammunition kan användas för att minska effekten i målet och på så sätt gradera verkan. På marknaden finns det ammunition som skulle komplettera redan befintlig ammunitionsportfölj framförallt på korta avstånd och då även med möjligheten att skjuta varningseld. Sekundärbeväpning (kulsprutor) på vagnen kan även den användas för att gradera verkan. Vidare finns det möjlighet att med rökkastarna verka med icke dödliga medel som tårgas och chockgranater då eskaleringen i en situation är låg. De olika vapensystem som undersökningen tar upp har värderats och placerats in i en eskaleringsmodell där lägsta nivån är att visa närvaro och högsta är verkanseld med flertalet vagnar. / The study indicates the possibility of obtaining scalable effects with Leopard 2A5 (S) in a mission in Sweden’s area of responsibility in Afghanistan. The threat that exists against the soldiers makes the ability to have good protection and possibility to obtain effect, which the Leopard 2A5 (S) offers, amust. The main part of the study stresses on modern 120 mm munitions in which the Swedish Armed Forces’ training munitions can be used to reduce the effect in a target and thus makes it a scalable effect. In the market there are munitions that would complement the existing portfolio of munitions, particularly at short distances, and with the ability to shoot warning shots. Secondary Armament (machine guns) on the tank can also be used to obtain a scalable effect. Furthermore, there is an opportunity to use the smoke launchers with non lethal means such as teargas and stun grenades when the level of escalation in a situation is low. The different weapon systems that is discussed in the study has been valued and placed into aescalation model where the lowest level is to show presence and the highest is fire for effect withmultiple tanks.

yes / New non-lethal technologies (weapons and delivery systems) continue to make the news, both for their civil and military applications. Technologies which were considered to be in the realm of science fiction a few years ago, are now beginning to undergo field trials or, in some cases, are being deployed with police and soldiers on active service. As this, and our previous reports have highlighted, the development of acoustic weapons (Long Range Acoustic Device) and microwave weapons (Active Denial System) have proceeded rapidly as have advances in robotic, unmanned vehicles for the delivery of both lethal and non-lethal weapons. We repeat our concern that there is a danger of these new non-lethal technologies being `rushed¿ into service (1) without thorough testing for harmful health effects, (2) without a deeper consideration of civil and human rights, (3) without full discussion of their impact on arms control treaties and conventions, and (4) without further study of their social and cultural impact. Since many such weapons will have a rheostatic capacity along the non-lethal to lethal continuum, it is important that weapons developers and manufacturers, and those charged with the responsibility of using them, are held clearly accountable and have transparent rules of engagement. Of particular concern are a new generation of biological and chemical weapons. With respect to the health impact, NATO has a panel working on NLW human effects, the Human Factors and Medicine (HFM) Panel 073, which is due to report later this year (2004) on the Human Effects of Non-Lethal Technologies.1

yes / Non-lethal weapons (NLWs) are explicitly designed and primarily employed to incapacitate personnel or material whilst minimising collateral damage to property and the environment. Existing NLWs include rubber and plastic bullets, entangling nets, chemical sprays such as OC and CS gas, and electrical stunning devices such as the `Taser¿ gun. New NLWs are on the way, which will include acoustic and microwave weapons, non-lethal landmines, malodorants, and sophisticated weapons developed through rapid advances in neuroscience and the genomics revolution. Most analysts would agree that there is a `legitimate¿ role for non-lethal weapons, both for civil and military applications. However there is considerable disagreement as to the operational effectiveness of NLWs, and the threat such weapons pose to arms conventions and international law. As usual, a balance has to be achieved where the benign advantages of developing and deploying non-lethal weapons are not outweighed by their more malign effects. In particular, emerging non-lethal technologies offer an increasing opportunity for the suppression of civil dissent and control of populations ¿ these are sometimes referred to as the `technologies of political control¿. There is a continuing need for sustained and informed commentary to such developments which highlights the impact and threats that these technologies pose to civil liberties and human rights. Because the last BNLWP Report was produced in August 2001, this edition is somewhat longer than usual so that key developments since then can be highlighted and summarised. Future BNLWRP reports will be published three times a year, and we welcome material to be considered for inclusion.

yes / Two recent detailed reports, by the U.K Northern Ireland Office (NIO) - January 2004 1 and the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) - February 2004 2, provide further insights into current policy and technology developments in the U.K. and U.S. The NIO report is the 4th and final report of a U.K wide Steering Group set up by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in Summer 2000, with the objective: To establish whether a less potentially lethal alternative to baton rounds is available; and to review the public order equipment which is presently available, or could be developed, in order to expand the range of tactical options available to operational commanders. 3 In her foreword to the report Jane Kennedy, Minister of State for Northern Ireland notes that: Despite a protracted and international search for a commercially available product, we have been unable to find anything that meets the criteria of an acceptable, potentially less lethal alternative to the baton round currently in service which provides an effective capability that does not expose officers and the public to greater risk in violent public disorder.4 The NIO Report has sections looking at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) programme on the development of less lethal technologies (particularly the Attenuating Energy Projectile and the Discriminating Irritant Projectile); commercial off the shelf product evaluations and update (12 Gauge Sock Round Assessment); Water Cannon; the U.K. use of less lethal technologies (with a focus on L21A1 baton rounds, CS sprays and the Taser). The report also contains a section entitled `The Management of Conflict¿ which discusses the dynamics of crowd behaviour. For a critical response to the NIO report see that from Dr. Brian Rappert.5 The CFR report provides a strong endorsement for non-lethal weapons. A key finding states: Wider integration of nonlethal weapons into the U.S. Army and Marine Corps could have reduced damage, saved lives, and helped to limit the widespread looting and sabotage that occurred after the cessation of major conflict in Iraq. Incorporating NLW capabilities into the equipment, training and doctrine of the armed services could substantially improve U.S. effectiveness in conflict, post-conflict, and homeland defense. 6 Interestingly, in describing the nonlethal capability sets (NLCS) which have been deployed in Kosovo and Iraq, and which help to provide a continuum of force between ¿don¿t shoot¿ and ¿shoot¿ 7, the CFR seems to distinguish between NLWs (rubber balls [grenades and shotgun munitions], bean bags, riot shields, Tasers, net entanglers, and caltrops), and equipment such as flash-bang grenades, laser dazzlers, and bullhorns of which it states ¿It is important to note that these are not weapons but non-lethal capabilities¿ 8 The CFR recommends expanded deployment of NLWs in the armed services, longer ranges for non-lethal payloads using precision delivery and fusing systems, and further development of millimetre-wave area-denial system (HPM weapons such as VMADS) and the advanced tactical laser (ATL). The report also argues for the need to have a bigger Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) or a new Non-lethal Joint Program Office (NLJPO) and for Bradford Non-Lethal Weapons Research Project (BNLWRP) ¿ Research Report 5 (May 2004) 2 closer links with the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM). In the opinion of the authors the JNLWD should also have more access into classified programmes throughout all branches of the armed services so as not to duplicate non-lethal development initiatives. To stimulate incorporation of NLWs throughout the U.S. Armed Services the CFR advocates two approaches: (1) top-down planning in the Defense department and (2) creation of demand for these [NLWs] weapons from the field as personnel gain experience with prototype equipment. 9 They argue there is a need for the top-level military and civilian leadership to be educated about NLW capabilities, not only for warfighting and peacekeeping, but also in `homeland defence in isolating a hot zone in the aftermath of a biological attack' 10. We will be referring again to both the NIO and CFR publications in other sections of this report.