According to Bob Woodward, the US military has some sort of secret weapon to fight Al Qaeda and insurgents:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/04/60minutes/main4415771_page3.shtml
What kind of weapon do you think this is?
I hope it’s blinding lasers, and expressly forbidden by the Geneva Convention. That’d be pretty super.
Oh, and to head people off at the pass: unless you’re exceedingly clever with it, a 1920’s-style “Death Ray” joke won’t be funny.
So, the only things we’re told about are, it’s so revolutionary that it’s going to guarantee killing all of the bad guys and none of the good guys, and it’s so seeeecret that they can’t tell us anything else about it.
If that’s all the better the Pentagon can bluff, I’d like to play poker with some of those guys.
What was that one weapon being developed that boiled the water right under the skin? That’d be pretty vicious.
Not to stray into GD territory, but from the article:
Doesn’t that mean we -should- tell them what they are able to do, so they’d get their asses out of town? I mean, isn’t that our goal?
If we told you, then it wouldn’t be secret anymore.
Duh.
Code Name: October Surprise nears completion!
Does Skald the Rhymer have anything to do with this 
Sorry for the inaproriate answer in GQ, I just had to
I don’t think it’s a “weapon” per se, but probably more of a technique, using data mining, surveillance, communications monitoring, etc. to track and kill “bad guys.”
If Woodward isn’t using hyperbole in calling it “Top Secret” – that is, if it truly is classified – then you can file this under the two-part rule that applies to most SDMB questions about sensitive military operations:
- Them that knows don’t talk.
- Them that talks don’t know.
Sorry I can’t be of more help.
I don’t know, so let me talk.
I would suppose it is a new rapid-reaction capacity from the JSOC. That is to say, I would suppose that it is a new, faster way of taking ELINT and making into targeting data and then getting to weapons release in a much, much shorter time.
Or not.
Head people off at the pass? I detest that cliché!
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Seems clear there’s only opinions here. Off to IMHO.
GQ > IMHO
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Ah, the same weapon used to enact the daring rescue of hostages in the American Embassy in Tehran, with the storm party with Ronald Reagan on point brandishing M134 miniguns on both arms while humming Bruce Springsteen songs under his breath.
Has the Pentagon started acknowledging that their press releases, if not actually written by, are at least inspired by the wet dreams of Stan Lee?:
[indent]They say that the best weapon is the one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That’s how Dad did it, that’s how America does it, and it’s worked out pretty well so far."[/indent][right] – Tony Stark, Iron Man[/right]
Stranger
Nanotech weapons.
Dear OG, I hope not.
My guess is mini/micro surveillance devices, looking like bugs, that they can use to see and hear where the bad guys are and when they are there. Then a Predator lets a missile fly, and the bad guys go boom.
Peace, love and understanding?
Dear God, no… not the Spear of Destiny! Those fools; don’t they realize what they’re unleashing?!
If I were a terrorist, which I’m not, and if I put any credence on Bob Woodward knowing the details of a weapon that is so secret he can’t mention it, which I doubt, then I would kidnap Bob Woodward and question him thoroughly and at length. If he doesn’t travel with a well-armed group of body guards, maybe he should.
I have no idea, but it sounds like a contractor is unsure of next year’s funding and felt the need to do a bit of viral marketing. Oct 1 isn’t far away-if they haven’t heard about their funding by now it is time for some dramatic steps.
Holy Hand grenade of Antioch?