|
|
| By: Associated Press |
| Published: March 20, 2005 |
| |
Israel's army has ordered new non-lethal weapons to break up demonstrations and riots, allowing soldiers to fire grenades and rubber bullets from inside vehicles, according to an army publication.
The system, called "Venom," is a 30-barrel array attached to the roof of a light armored vehicle, like a jeep or Hummer, the soldiers' weekly "Bamahane" reported in its current edition. The military has ordered two of the systems to begin with, and they are to be operational soon.
The main feature of the "Venom" is allowing soldiers to fire non-lethal weapons to break up riots without leaving their vehicle and becoming targets of rocks, bottles and firebombs, the weekly said.
Using a control panel in the vehicle, the operator can choose the type of ordnance -- stun grenades, smoke bombs, tear gas or rubber-coated bullets -- as well as selecting the proper range, the report said.
The weekly said the decision to purchase the system was made before Israel decided to pull out of the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank in the summer. The withdrawal has ignited stiff opposition from settlers and their backers, including sitdown strikes and possibly violent resistance.
However, the publication did not indicate that the new weapon would be used against settlers. In previous confrontations with settlers, Israeli forces have not used crowd control means like tear gas.
Palestinians and human rights groups have often faulted Israeli forces for using too much firepower to disperse Palestinian demonstrations and riots during four years of violence. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
