An astounding 4,000 PlayStation 2s have apparently been shipped to Iraq in the last two to three months, according to a secret Defense Intelligence Agency report. With the under-whelming shipment of PS2s that have hit North American shores, this recent news makes strange sense. But is this the real reason that Sony can't meet US gamers' demand? Or is the news really real at all? According to the news site www.worldnetdaily.com, a political commentary site, it's all true.
Currently, two government agencies believe that Hussein and his cronies intend to bundle together a handful of PlayStation 2s to create a primitive super-computer for a variety of military applications, intelligence sources said.
"When I first saw this report, I was highly skeptical," intelligence source told WorldNetDaily. "So, I did some checking with computer experts I know within the Department of Defense. From what they tell me, bundling these video game units is very feasible."
"Most Americans don't realize that each PlayStation unit contains a 32-bit CPU [i.e. the I/O processor] -- every bit as powerful as the processor found in most desktop and laptop computers," said one military intelligence officer. "Beyond that, the graphics capabilities of a PlayStation are staggering -- five times more powerful than that of a typical graphics workstation, and roughly 15 times more powerful than the graphics cards found in most PCs."
The intelligence sources added that with the upcoming hard drive (cited as being a 3.5 gig hard drive) and connections to the Internet, the likelihood of the PS2 reaching the ability to control an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is very possible. Many military experts believe that Iraq has been in development with UAVs for several years to deliver chemical weapons, and that perhaps the PS2 is the missing link. Adding to the mayhem is that bundled PlayStation 2s can be used to calculate ballistic data for long-range missiles, or in the design of nuclear weapons.
"Applications for this system are potentially frightening," the intelligence source said. "One expert I spoke with estimated that an integrated bundle of 12-15 PlayStations could provide enough computer power to control an Iraqi unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV -- a pilotless aircraft."
The reason that Hussein is allegedly importing PS2s instead of supercomputers is because PS2s, which are considered videogame systems, are not included in the United Nations sanctions clause. And the present United Nations sanctions prohibit the sale and or transfer of nearly all kinds of technology and computer hardware to Iraq.
IGN's warning: Kids! Please do not use the Secret Nuclear Bomb Connector Device (SNBCD), located directly beneath from the PS2 controller 1 port, to explode your hometown. We repeat, do not use this connector, it could be harmful!