Monday, January 16, 2012

US could use dolphins as weapons against Iran


Over the past few months, The United States, the European Union and Israel increased pressures on Tehran in an effort to thwart Iranian plans to produce nuclear energy.

President Barack Obama recently approved a law stipulating fines against companies that do business with Iran´s Central Bank, while the European Union threatened the Persian country with an oil embargo. But Tehran said that if such measures are implemented it would block the Strait of Hormuz, the transfer route for one third of the world oil trade.

Iran could plant mines along the Strait of Horumz as a way to block it, and in that case the US Navy could use dolphins, which is a solution not yet widely published, said Michael Connel, a researcher with the Center for Naval Analysis.

Meanwhile, retired admiral Tim Keating, former commander of the Bahrein-based 5th Fleet also referred to the possible use of dolphins in the event of a blockade of the Strait of Homuz. Those animals have impressing capacity to detect underwater objects, said the former admiral, cited by The Atlantic Wire daily.

The US Navy is currently training 80 dolphins at the San Diego Bay, in California, to locate and eventually destroy explosive artifacts with the assistance of a tracking device.

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