Temporary Archive: Suzanne Brockmann's Message Board

One of the things that we looked at--heavily--following the Cole, was how you control threshold creep. Following the Cole, there was a hue and cry to allow lethal force to be employed against any vessel closing within X distance of a ship. I argued against it because if it was me being the mastermind, I would hire a family of three or four to "innocently" cross the trip wire and be killed (guaranteeing them maryterdom and the rest of their family a 100k) After that embarressment, rules of engagment would be tightened again---or, we would employ technolgy $$ to thwart the attack or we would employ people in picket boats (Northern Arabian Gulf 2004--3 dead?) So, apropos of the thought that the ultimate sacrifice might be to get captured to give false information, it would be possible to use similiar mind set to condition the target population--or confuse the policy of the target population--to their benefit. Appearing to have a bomb is now punishable by death--two cases within a few months as proof. To what benefit?