U.S. enlists dolphins to aid war effort in Iraq

Reuters | 3/25/03

[kattracks]

U.S. enlists dolphins to aid war effort in Iraq

UMM QASR, Iraq, March 25 (Reuters) - Forget precision bombs, unmanned spy-planes and high-tech weaponry, the U.S. army is about to unveil its most unlikely mine detector -- all the way from Florida, the Atlantic Bottle-Nosed Dolphin.

At the southern Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, secured by U.S and British forces after days of fighting, soldiers made last-minute preparations on Tuesday for the imminent arrival of a team of specially trained dolphins to help divers ensure the coastline is free of danger before humanitarian aid shipments can dock.

U.S. Navy Captain Mike Tillotson told reporters that three or four dolphins would work from Umm Qasr, using their natural sonar abilities to seek out mines or other explosive devices which Iraqi forces may have planted on the seabed.

"They were flown over on a military animal transporter in fleece-lined slings," Tillotson said. "We keep them in a certain amount of water. They travel very well."

"They will be given restaurant quality food and vitamins, and they will work out of wells which we've set up here."

Tillotson said the dolphins were trained not to swim up to mines, but to place a marker a small distance away, minimising any danger to themselves.

Several mines were discovered last week on the back of ships along the Faw peninsula, but teams of divers searching around Umm Qasr port since Monday have not found any embedded mines.

03/25/03 10:38 ET

[kattracks]

Wait'll PETA hears this.

[Severa]

Don't remind me *LOL* I live about 30 min from their Norfolk HQ.

[Calpernia]

Flipper has been DRAFTED!

[KansasCanadian]

PETA=Pets Eliminating Tactical Armaments

[kattracks]

Severa, please relay our gratitude and prayers to your husband.

[RoseofTexas]

Hehehehehhe...I thought the same thing! Funny how Freepers think alike! The sad part about it is that PETA rather see a human being dead first before an animal...sickening!!

[billorites]

Many a night, way down in the deep,
oysters make beds, so Flipper can sleep,
happy and gay when he comes along,
they all start singing this song!

They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning,
no-one you see, is smarter than he,
and we know Flipper, lives in a world full of wonder,
flying there-under, under the sea!

[newcats]

Guess they couldn't find the Incredible Mr. Limpett.

[Calpernia]

"PETA=Pets Eliminating Tactical Armaments"

damn! that was good!

[KellyAdmirer]

The Dolphins' ground attack has improved recently, but their real strength has always been their air attack. They do well in hot weather, too. Good team to send to Iraq. :)

[Dialup Llama]

So you're saying Flipper is also gay?

[Desecrated]

Yeah, but we'd need to pull them out before December as they have a tendency to choke.

[Calpernia]

I guess you are too young to remember Flipper. Those are lyrics to this song:

CLICK HERE

[Calpernia]

See my post #13...you may want to download that for your computer.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Like this?

[blau993]

Coalition of the EAGER! LOL

[B-Chan]

Vivat tursiops truncatus!

[billorites]

"So you're saying Flipper is also gay? "

It's said he swims both ways.

[sheltonmac]

U.S. enlists dolphins to aid war effort in Iraq

This makes sense, considering that dolphins adapt very well to conditions in the desert. ;-)