A dog of the US military was involved in the killing of IS chief Al-Baghdadi and is highly praised. The importance of animals for the military, explains Mieke Roscher, which deals with animal-human relationships.
US military dog Conan
Deutsche Welle: How important dogs such as Conan, which was used in the killing of US-in-chief of Al-Baghdadi are for the military?
Mieke Roscher: This can be answered on two different levels. Material: it Takes the dogs to perform a certain action? And as we can see throughout history that this was not the case. In both of these world dogs have been used to get solid. Alone, the German Wehrmacht had a total of 200,000 dogs in use to perform particular functions, such as track search or medical services.
After the Second world war, it has adopted, then, is actually also more systematic forms. You surely know the K9-seasons. K9 is the international sign for the military dogs. And the have received in all the countries is quite comparable to the training. What I find very interesting is that we are actually in the age of total mechanization, and yet animals, especially dogs, are still used in Wars. Perhaps even more so than before.
What is because today is the abandonment of dogs in the military? What is the technique or the person can?
Prof. Mieke Roscher of the University of Kassel
This was also the case of the use of [the killing of IS chief Al-Baghdadi, ed. d. Red.] so that you are trained on certain odors. This is not a substitute for technology. Since it needs the hounds.
In the case of the mine dogs are dispensable. There are used for the part of the rats.
This has very much to do with values, so : how do we certain animals, and your life worth to you? The search for specific mines is a dangerous Job. As it can happen that mines are triggered. Just at the end of the war, the dogs were equipped deliberately with a certain weight, so that you can triggered when you stepped on the mines also. Today, attention is paid to the fact that you mainly specialise in the search and then report. But of course there are accidents. And the life of a dog is considered to be higher than that of a rat.
A rat at the mine search in Mozambique
What animals are used for military or other security agencies because in addition to dogs and rats else?
Because the imagination is no limit. It is so that all the transport animals were used in Wars, or horses, camels, elephants will no longer be used, so. But the biggest attention is on the whole small organisms, i.e., bacteria, bees, and insects in General.
What’s he going to do?
You are part of biological warfare by itself carry certain pathogens, or in contrast, this discover.
What is research today? What could in the future be of use for animals?
To observe is, that in military research, not so much with or to animals is being worked on, but attempting to copy certain animal characteristics, such as defense mechanisms. Animals are taken as a template in order to use them militarily. It is no coincidence that almost all of the weapons systems are named after animals. Just think of all the tanks – Leopard, and the like. Today, it is looked so rather, what are the properties of certain animals, in order to use this military.
What do you say to Donald trump’s praise of the dog, Conan?
If you listen to this speech by Donald trump, he’s talking about the dog as hero, referred to but at the same time, Yes, even Al-Baghdadi as a dog. This is very interesting: a dog can be both the Hero and the coward par excellence – in an address. It takes quite a kind of social hierarchization, so that the dog is about the people, about Al-Baghdadi, the is a cowardly dog. The dog of the Americans, by contrast, is a courageous, a heroic dog.
Mieke Roscher, Professor of Social and cultural history, taking particular account of the animal-man ratio in the faculty of social science at the University of Kassel.
The Interview was conducted by Marco Müller.
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The animals in the special useThe dog makes a career?
US President, Trump referred to Conan as “American heroes” and posted on Twitter a photo montage, it helps the dog a medal. Also, he has invited him to the White house. On the Internet there is a lot of ridicule. The satirical page “The postilion” announced that Conan’s new Secretary of defense will.
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The animals in the special useFrom the General knighted
The Belgian shepherd dog is since four years in the U.S. army and has already participated in some 50 missions. General McKenzie (l.) is full of praise: “These animals protect US troops, save the lives of civilians, separating combatants and Non-combatants and immobilize individuals, the behavior of the enemy”.
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The animals in the special useNot rich, but successful
The animals in the special use, there are a number. Often there are dogs. The are in the police and customs in use – as Rambo. He can track with his fine nose money. Otherwise, dogs are often used to Detect drugs or explosives and, more recently, of media. But not only dogs will be in the service of security agencies.
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The animals in the special useEagle against drone
The Dutch police-for example, eagles in the fight against enemy drones. A drone should come to a nuclear power plant or similar sensitive locations to close, you can get the eagle from the sky. As a toddler, the eagles are trained to see the drone as loot. This meat is attached to drones. But there is still more heroic birds: Canary birds.
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The animals in the special useSo this is what heroes look tragic
What could make Canaries in the service of the army: terrorists do? Explosives sniffing out? Combat aircraft get from the sky? Not surprisingly, the answer to all these questions is: no. So, what then? You can fall from the rod. Canaries are said to have come, among other things, on the border of North and South Korea used to poison gas display.
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The animals in the special useNot a great Job
South Korea had a fear of a gas attack from the North. And so, you set up cages with Canaries. The rod fell, it was called gas mask. Because the Canary-birds respond more quickly to the Gas than humans. Unfortunately, they were dead. So, a rather thankless task. The Canaries are not alone.
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The animals in the special useThe first living being in space
The Russian dog Laika was the first living being was shot into space. This happened on 3. November 1957, with the Soviet Union were in the USA in the space superior. The bitch didn’t care. You paid with the life. She probably died of Stress and Overheating. But animals have been provided much earlier with special orders.
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The animals in the special useEarly Satellite?
Pigeons have been used for a long time to deliver pieces of paper with messages. In the First world war, a further task was added. Since pigeons air took pictures of enemy positions. Unfortunately, the cameras were able to make only one to two, and later, allegedly, up to twelve photos.
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The animals in the special useMine spürratten
Dogs are not likely to be the rats are evil, they take it away from them, at least in part, a Job of mine detection. Rats have a fine nose, and can therefore also. And you have an advantage: they are much lighter than dogs. During dogs when mine are looking for a deadly Explosion that can happen in the light rats hardly. And water mines?
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The animals in the special useCuckoo
Also for the Detection of water mines, there is the suitable animal: the Dolphin. This hears on the name of K-Dog and his leap into the Air with the camera on his fin. His employer is the US Navy. Especially in the Cold war, the United States and the Soviet Union relied on the help of the dolphins. Russia should not have retired his dolphins, the USA.
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The animals in the special useWelcome aboard
The US, in addition to dolphins and seals to Detect mines in a mine Exercise in Bahrain. Except mines dolphins can also protect a diver tracking and ships and ports. According to rumors, the dolphins should be able to also be used for attacks used, for example, to mines, to be attached to enemy ships.
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The animals in the special useOfficer Horse
Finally, we want to be a veteran helper of the military and the police and the glory: the horse. It is used since time immemorial for military or police purposes. In the middle ages, it carried knights, today’s police officers – as to the hedging of a football game in London. It works just like a horse.