UK pondered suicide pigeon attacks

[emad]

BBC News snip:

British spy chiefs secretly considered training pigeons to fly into enemy targets carrying explosives or biological weapons, it has been revealed.

British intelligence set up a "pigeon committee" at the end of World War II to ensure expertise gained in the use of the birds to carry messages was not lost.

Documents now released to the National Archives reveal that the War Office intelligence section, MI14, warned: "Pigeon research will not stand still; if we do not experiment, other powers will."

Among MI14's proposals was the training of pigeons carrying explosives to fly into enemy searchlights.

<snip>
More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3732755.stm

[Turbineguy]

1. "We must not allow........

.....a mineshaft gap!"

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x571261

[Spinzonner]

3. I dont know if I find the term

"Suicide pigeon attacks" credible unless the pigeons were going to be informed as to the consequences of their actions.

However, the statement:

"Pigeon research will not stand still; if we do not experiment, other powers will."

is a nice touch. No telling what might happen if the nation is subject to a 'Pigeon Gap'

[AliceWonderland]

4. "Pigeon research will not stand still"

You couldn't make this #$%& up if you tried.

[ixion]

5. ROFL... sounds like a monty python sketch...

I guess it's pretty obvious where they were getting their material. ;-)

[Moderator]

6. posted earlier, please discuss here, thanks

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=569038