January 24, 1997: Non-Lethal Weapons - Col. John Alexander

Col. John Alexander, widely known as the father of non-lethal weapons, joins Art Bell from Las Vegas to discuss the emerging field of warfare designed to incapacitate rather than kill. Alexander, a retired Army colonel who rose from private to full colonel across a career spanning Special Forces command in Vietnam, Los Alamos National Laboratory research, and NATO advisory roles, explains how technologies from rubber bullets to electromagnetic pulse systems are reshaping military strategy.

Alexander describes how laser targeting was used effectively against snipers in Somalia, how psychological operations led to mass surrenders in Desert Storm, and why the United States remains dangerously vulnerable to information warfare attacks on its own financial and communications infrastructure. He candidly assesses the limitations of directed energy weapons through the atmosphere while confirming that lateral laser strikes against ICBMs from space have already been demonstrated.

The discussion takes unexpected turns into remote viewing, psychokinesis witnessed by senior military officers, and Alexander's involvement with the Council on Foreign Relations. His assessment that terrorism will increasingly target America's technology-dependent society carries a chilling prescience that resonates well beyond 1997.