Laser Dazzler, son of Tazer: A Blinding Success.

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Laser Dazzler, son of Tazer: A Blinding Success.

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In an article published in the Ottawa Citizen December 23 2007, David Pugliese reported that
'Canada think-tank fears misuse of laser 'dazzlers'. The Ottawa think-tank, The Rideau Institute argues that the Defence Department has
set aside about $10 million for the purchase of lasers for use in Afghanistan
without meeting government obligations under the Geneva Convention

the laser dazzlers fall into the same category as Tasers, as they
are untested and could harm innocent people. Source: Anthony Salloum, Programme Director of the Rideau Institute
quoted in the Ottawa Citizen December 23, 20007

But what are "laser dazzlers"?

In a briefing paper published by the Rideau
Institute the authors suggested that:

Canada is planning to purchase “laser dazzlers” for deployment in Afghanistan. Military.com defines
these dazzlers as devices capable of creating, “bright pulses of coherent light,
meant to render someone sightless, temporarily". Source: Laser Weapons and Canada's International Legal Obligations
November 19, 2007 

Canada will not be the first to purchase these
inhumane weapons, it is reported that American forces are already using
them:

Last year, the Pentagon acknowledged its troops in
Iraq were using dazzler devices on their rifles. A Pentagon official said the
systems were designed to cut down on the number of shooting of Iraqis at
checkpoints. Source Ottawa Citizen December
23, 2007

 Unfortunately the available information on whether
or not the Harper government has already purchased laser dazzlers is unclear. On
one-hand we are told:

 The Harper government has bought new weapons known
as laser dazzlers to deploy in Afghanistan. These are weapons that may
inadvertently blind innocent civilians – permanently! Source: ceasefire.ca

On the other-hand, a spokesman for The Department
of National Defence said:

The Department ...  always considers ways to
protect our Forces and reduce the potential of causing unintended harm to
civilians," spokesman Maj. Norbert Cyr stated last week.
He noted while the
military is aware of such technology it does not currently use the systems. Source:
David Pugliese , CanWest News Service,
Published: Monday, November 19, 2007

One has to wonder how many more servicemen and
women will return home from Afghanistan and Iraq to Canada with neurological
diseases through handling these weapons.
One might also consider how much
greater will be the name of Canada as a callous invading puppet of the Bush
government wrecking its once proudly independent image as an international
peacemaker through its strategy of causing irreparable damage to the sight of
civilians with untested weapons.