textfiles/politics/SPUNK/sp000944.txt

Microwaves

During the Second World War radar operators who felt a bit chilly would
nip out and warm themselves up with the radar frequency (rf) microwave
energy transmitted by the radar. The cooking ability of microwaves,
thermal effects, are well known, but the ope rators also reported they
could hear the radar - yet according to the laws of physics you can=
t
hear microwaves.=20

The Frey Effect In 1962 Allen Frey at Cornell University, New York
State, published a paper entitled Human auditory system response to
modulated electromagnetic energy. By using an rf microwave transmitter h=
e
found that: With appropriate modulation, the perception of various sound=
s
can be induced in clinically deaf, as well as normal, human subjects...
By changing the transmitter parameters such as pulse repetition rate and
pulse width he could create a range of sounds such as buzzing, clicking,
hissing, knocking etc. He also found that various physical sensations such
as the perception of severe buffe ting of the head and a
pins-and-needles sensation could be induced. Frey found that if there
was little environmental noise, such as at night, people could hear sounds
at average power levels so low that microwave detection equipment could
barely detec t them, i.e. at thousands of times less power than current
recommended safety limits.  More recently Professor James Lin at the
University of Illinois has published a number of papers on the subject,
his book Electromagnetic Interactions with Biological Systems [Plenum
Press, NY 1989] deals with auditory effects. Also in 1989 the MOD issue d
a Guide to the Practical Aspects of the use of Radio Frequency Energy=
.
This notes: It is possible to hear the modulation frequency of pulsed
microwave transmissions. The mechanism for this phenomena is a small
localised temperature rise in the head causing a pressure wave that
reaches the cochlea which... gives rise to a sound sensatio n. In some
individuals this effect may be perceptible below 100mW-2 mean power
levels Thus it is possible to hear microwave energy at thousands o=
f
times below the government accepted safety limit (which in itself is
equivalent to standing a few feet in front of a leaky microwave oven) if
the beam is pulsed or amplitude modulated like mos t comm-unications and
radar equipment are.=20
 According to American scientist Bob Beck these sounds can be recorded on
ferrite tape. This possibly explains how Mr. Verney was able to record
non-sound sounds. Barry Fox at the New Scientist suggests that
background microwave pollution is to blame for the buzz/hum he and
thousands of people hear. Radio frequency microwave energy today pervades
our environment at levels that can create this hum - yet we, the publ ic,
know very little about the health effects it can cause. Why? =20

 National Health or National Safety? American military security has been
built on a complex global system of C3I (Command, Control, Communications
and Intelligence) involving the widespread use of rf microwaves including,
missile tracking radar, surveillance radar (including radar to guard
against intruders at bases), secure communications links, and the huge
early warning radars. These are found at American bases around the world
(including the UK). The continuation of American military supremacy is
based upon the extensive use of radio fr equencies, and in particular,
microwave emitting equipment. A US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA)
document obtained under a Freedom of Information request shows that for 18
years the US military have known how dangerous even low powered rf
microwaves are. This and other official documents prove that the American
military have conducted research into health effects and known for years
that even low levels of rf radiation can be harmful.  Nobel Prize nominee
Dr. Robert Becker has scathingly attacked the way in which the military
control research into this area. The US exposure standard of 10 milliwatts
(10mW/cm2) was based on wartime research aimed at ensuring the risks to
radar operators were balanced against wartime necessity. In the post-war
period fear of the Soviet Union led to the creation of a global security
system based on polluting radars and microwave communication networks;
which in turn necessitated the continuation of the ext remely lax safety
standards for nonionising radiation. Becker believes that the military was
well aware that its safety standard was expedient and conducted research
which quickly determined that even very low levels were extremely harmful.
With this know ledge they were forced to actively prevent critical
research into the area. Becker notes: ...evidence for nonthermal effects
was viewed as a threat to national security... This led to the position of
denying any nonthermal effects from ANY electromagnetic usage, whether
military or civilian. Nonthermal effects are changes to cells which
cannot be explained by the argument that microwaves excite water molecules
to create heat. The American safety standard is solely based on avoiding
burning or boiling people. The Soviet Union set standards whi ch are 1,000
times more strict in recognition that nonionising radiation damages cells
in ways other than merely heating them, and at power levels which have no
heating effect. Understandably the American state has been keen to keep
these Russian standard s quiet, whilst noting in a DIA report [1976] for
example: Recently, US and other Western scientists have been quite
concerned with the vast difference between the two standards... Because
the scientific establishment depends for its funding on the state, the
military were able to exert their influence to ensure that only approved=

projects received funding. Rebel scientists who questioned the safety of
microwave radiation were dea lt with in the usual manner - either
ridiculed or forced to adopt standards of proof that were so high the
expense made it impossible to continue. An example of this was work on
microwave damage to the Blood-Brain Barrier. In 1977 two army researchers
published a paper showing that power levels thousands of times below
safety limits damaged the brain. According to Dr. Steneck of the
University of Mi chigan this research and the debate it stimulated was
stopped by the Department of Defence. Dr. Koslov at Johns Hopkins
University attempted to restart work into this in 1986, but was unable to
get funding. A striking example of the need to cover up came in 1981 when
Army pathologist Dr.  Fried-man published some preliminary findings of a
study into the large number of radar operators referred to him with a rare
blood disease. The Army refused to publish his
 full report.=20
 The military were well aware of health effects and sought to cover up
deaths resulting from microwave exposure. The situation in the UK is no
different.=20

The Malvern 8 The British state operates a communications system that is
completely independent from the BT network.  It ensures that the
government can control the country in the event of the collapse of its
authority by war (civil or other) or mass strike action. It is based on
the use of microwave communication links dotted around the country, with a
higher concentration in built-up areas. Naturally the government would not
want the existence of its lifeline questioned on health grounds. The
centre of research into developing a new super-secure microwave
communication network is the Defence Research Agency's Malvern branch
(formerly the Royal Signals & Radar Establishment). Since the mid-70s
eight scientists working there have died from b rain tumours. After the
death of one of the men, Dr. John Clark, his wife publicised the other
deaths and, according to the media, the program was halted in March 1989.
After experts from Universities had made bland statements about safety
limits being "b ased on present knowledge" public debate of the deaths
went away.=20

American Security - British Health Since, at the latest, 1976 the US
military have made a choice between national safety and health, and as
unanswerable champions of America's safety they prevented all public
debate about health. This they neatly summarise on page vii of a DIA
document: If the more advanced nations of the West are strict in the
enforcement of stringent exposure standards, there could be unfavourable
effects on industrial output and military functions. Especially in the
Post-Cold war era military expediency should no longer outweigh human
health. The populations of countries with American bases are suffering not
for their own security but for paranoias of the United States military.=20

Is there a Secret Weapon? It is clear from our research that the cover- up
of health effects also served to conceal a secret microwave weapons
development program. In Issue Three we look at these weapons and their
application in fighting Low Intensity Conflicts. One of our documen ts
notes that with these weapons: ... the ability of individuals to functio=
n
could be degraded to such a point that they would be rendered combat
ineffective In 1983-4 did someone try to render a retired couple comb=
at
ineffective?