"The idea is that it might be sent in ahead of Israeli foot-soldiers to recce dangerous or booby-trapped areas or buildings."

I wonder why these neighbours of Israel booby trap their buildings? Why don't they cover their houses with flowers and welcome the soldiers into their homes instead?

They could hug Israeli tanks that come on visits to their country, blow kisses to their bombers, bat eyelids at their gunships, make kissy faces at cluster bombs.

And when Israeli soldiers march across the border, they should leave little love notes for them with little scented hearts to show appreciation at the visit.

And poor Israeli soldiers, little Iman didn't thank him for that free head reshaping:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1332219,00.html

Why do they hate Israel so? Oh why oh why?

I can see it now.....

Largish GPS-enabled truck (without a cab for driver) pulls up within one mile of target (building or enemy position)... point-to-point 5.4MHz (restricted) line-of-sight (GPS enabled of course) dish points back to base/ship/etc.... antenna unfolds from roof..... access point activated.... ramp opens from rear of truck... out rolls "squad" of killer wireless robots.

Meanwhile, back in Good Ol' USA, Israel, Russia, insert-country-here... individuals get a call on cell, excuses him/her/transgender-self from dinner table... closes door to home office and fires up videofeed over the 'net. Recieves his/her/transgender orders and objectives..... takes care of bidness before giving recall command and gets back to table for dessert.

Back on the ship, the person gives recall for the truck to base for maintenance and goes back to surfing the 'net for sheepporn....

Helluva way to fight a war..... of course satellite speeds would have to improve because the latency would wreck all your little robots.... but it's doable.

I like it.

I picture the Palestinians responding to the "robot gap" with bomb-laden remote-controlled cars, as in The Dead Pool. That came out in 1988 and it was the last of the Dirty Harry films. I believe that, if you want to know the future, you must study the works of Clint Eastwood.

Leave the politics out of this.

Reg, this post should not be allowed, out of place for this site.

"Why do they hate Israel so? Oh why oh why?"

Lets see, shall we:

http://server12.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?format=wm&s=72BD589B3EED11D6B9CD000629396D69&ak=47390383

"Today, the Palestinian Authority is methodically and systematically indoctrinating a new generation of children with dangerous and irrevocable message. In the classrooms and summer camps, on television and radio, in comic books and textbooks, Palestinian children are inundated with the language of hate and violence. They are instructed to kill and are taught to aspire to give their lives as suicide bombers. An entire generation of children is being sacrificed as pawns of the Palestinian Authority, to create a new generation of terrorists."

Not all palestinians are so brainwashed:

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/2600

I'm sure all the Israelis (both Arab and Jew) really appreciated being bombarded with rocket-shaped love notes over the past few years, however incompetent the people launching them are.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4563216.stm

Israel is a victim? Ohh poor innocent victim, smoochy smoochy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6431637.stm

"Israel's prime minister has said that the strategy used in last year's war with Lebanon was drawn up months in advance, an Israeli newspaper reports."

Oops, how to explain all the preparation that went into last years invasion? I know lets change our story and say it was a 'contingency plan'. Yeh that'll work, all the preparation was just for a 'contingency' plan. That'll fool them..... not!

"Today, the Palestinian Authority is methodically and systematically indoctrinating a new generation of children with dangerous and irrevocable message."

Says who? Olmert? Better make another of our 'contingency' plans quick.

"Leave the politics out of this."

"Reg, this post should not be allowed, out of place for this site."

The same old game, criticize Israel and lobbyists & supporters try to label the criticism as hate speech, or anti-semitic or just plain off topic and try to silence the discussion.

Mr Lieberman repeatedly used the word 'hate' the last time we discussed Israel, but it failed and we discussed it anyway.

An anonymous person tried the anti-semitic approach and his comment was ridiculed by theReg in their weekly summary.

You are trying the lets-ban-this-because-it's-off-topic.

But I say lets talk about it, this is anti-booby trap equipment and only useful when invading enemy territory. So you're planning on invading where next?

"But I say lets talk about it, this is anti-booby trap equipment and only useful when invading enemy territory. So you're planning on invading where next?"

At least someone wants an adult discussion, that's a bit more useful than pathetic comments like "Israel is a victim? Ohh poor innocent victim, smoochy smoochy." - how does that further any debate?

I'm fascinated why people have such a hang-up about that particular country defending its right to exist. Perhaps it's people should just roll over and die?

Of course when you're fighting a war you have to take it to the enemy's territory. After all, that's where they attack from! During WWII the allied forces didn't stop at the German border and wag their fingers at that Mr Hitler, did they?

Another standard practice is to plan for all eventualities - if there is a chance that a neighboring country is going to start a war, of course any military planner worth his salt is going to work through the scenarios and write up plans accordingly. That's what planning is for!!

Clearly there are people here for whom no amount of discussion and evidence will change their opinions or help them see the big picture, and there are others with whom a meaningful exchange can take place even if the two sides cannot agree.

There's a big difference between planning for all eventualities, and acting them out! There's also a difference between taking a war into enemy territory, and staying there and claiming the that for your own. The Allies in WW II marched into Germany, then left it mostly intact (bar the start of the Cold War bases). And it's not like Israel was founded with a peaceful revolution either...

This robot, as has been mentioned, is DESIGNED for incursions into enemy territory. Not exactly helpful for inducing a peaceful neighbourly atmosphere!

There has to be compromise in a peace process, otherwise one side will feel hard done by and resentment will build (see Germany after WW I ). Both sides have been at fault for demanding more when a compromise appears to have been reached. But developments like this don't help the situation.