Armed and Dangerous Dolphins

[Libertine]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/inter...577753,00.html

True Story. Maybe they should of added these dolphins to Socom 3. lol

Armed and dangerous - Flipper the firing dolphin let loose by Katrina

by Mark Townsend Houston
Sunday September 25, 2005

The Observer

It may be the oddest tale to emerge from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Armed dolphins, trained by the US military to shoot terrorists and pinpoint spies underwater, may be missing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Experts who have studied the US navy's cetacean training exercises claim the 36 mammals could be carrying 'toxic dart' guns. Divers and surfers risk attack, they claim, from a species considered to be among the planet's smartest. The US navy admits it has been training dolphins for military purposes, but has refused to confirm that any are missing.

Dolphins have been trained in attack-and-kill missions since the Cold War. The US Atlantic bottlenose dolphins have apparently been taught to shoot terrorists attacking military vessels. Their coastal compound was breached during the storm, sweeping them out to sea. But those who have studied the controversial use of dolphins in the US defence programme claim it is vital they are caught quickly.
Leo Sheridan, 72, a respected accident investigator who has worked for government and industry, said he had received intelligence from sources close to the US government's marine fisheries service confirming dolphins had escaped.
'My concern is that they have learnt to shoot at divers in wetsuits who have simulated terrorists in exercises. If divers or windsurfers are mistaken for a spy or suicide bomber and if equipped with special harnesses carrying toxic darts, they could fire,' he said. 'The darts are designed to put the target to sleep so they can be interrogated later, but what happens if the victim is not found for hours?'
Usually dolphins were controlled via signals transmitted through a neck harness. 'The question is, were these dolphins made secure before Katrina struck?' said Sheridan.

The mystery surfaced when a separate group of dolphins was washed from a commercial oceanarium on the Mississippi coast during Katrina. Eight were found with the navy's help, but the dolphins were not returned until US navy scientists had examined them.
Sheridan is convinced the scientists were keen to ensure the dolphins were not the navy's, understood to be kept in training ponds in a sound in Louisiana, close to Lake Pontchartrain, whose waters devastated New Orleans.

The navy launched the classified Cetacean Intelligence Mission in San Diego in 1989, where dolphins, fitted with harnesses and small electrodes planted under their skin, were taught to patrol and protect Trident submarines in harbour and stationary warships at sea.
Criticism from animal rights groups ensured the use of dolphins became more secretive. But the project gained impetus after the Yemen terror attack on the USS Cole in 2000. Dolphins have also been used to detect mines near an Iraqi port.

[tha123]

dam that would suck u see a dolphin swimming up to u and your like WOW look a dolphin then pam u die, but thats preety cool that we use dolhpins with toxic darts as a wepon to kill terrorists

[marble man]

They also have a special clamp, that they can attach to you leg/arm. The clamp has a line, that connects to a boat topside. You get hauled in, like a fish.

[OTTER]

That is the sickest thing I've ever heard, training dolphins to do dirty work. Cowards.

[Godmoney]

I don't know Otter, it's making me laugh my *** off. I never would have thought we would be using dolphins to fight terrorism. I didn't believe it at first, but that's awesome. lol Dolphins with guns. I wonder how these guns have been modified to be fired by a dolphin...

[breath of life]

Dude, there should seriously be a freaking video.

Just amigine, you are "Chillin" by the water, and BAM flipper frags yo ***!

[GreyHelm]

Damn, that sucks, we could be shot by a dolphin!

Hope they catch them soon...

[Escape]

Socom3 noob:Oh man this water glitch is soooo awesome guys no one can find me!!!11!!1oneone......WOW LOOK GUYS ITS FL-....

Socom3 noob was fragged by Flipper with freakin laser beam attatched to its head.

Thats pretty funny, they need a video for sure.

[Cheesy]

Originally Posted by øtter

That is the sickest thing I've ever heard, training dolphins to do dirty work. Cowards.

Who are you calling a coward? According to your sentence structure, you're calling the dolphins cowards. You used an incomplete thought after tacking it onto a sentence. I'm sorry, but your point has been made invalid. :)

[WET]

So does that mean you think cops who work with K-9 units are cowards also?