Mr. Yeltsin has sent a Dear Bill letter formally requesting negotiations leading to a ban on anti-satellite weapons.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Giving Saddam Space

While certain military interests have pushed for anti-satellite weapons since the Cold War, concern over the space junk that destroyed sats would create has kept the international community from serious pursuit of any "Star Wars"-like programs.

ENGADGET: Air Force pushing for ground-based, satellite-killing lasers

Israeli military intelligence is thought to be monitoring the area via satellite for any movement of weapons outside Syria's borders.

BBC: Q&A: Israeli 'strike' on Syria

Earlier Mr Annan's spokesman, Ahmed Fawzi, said satellite imagery showed the Syrian government was failing to withdraw heavy weapons from urban centres.

BBC: Syria violence still unacceptable, says Kofi Annan

But he warns that any proposal for satellite removal requires international agreement because these systems could also be viewed as aggressive developments - as space weapons.

BBC: UK design to 'harpoon' old satellites

But its 16 authors, led by Michael Ladisch, a biological engineer at Purdue University, reckon that high-tech chow will, within the next 25 years, protect troops from attack by biological weapons, insulate them against cold weather and even make them visible to their commanders by satellite.

ECONOMIST: A new report speculates on army rations of the future

This device, developed at the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate in Quantico, Virginia, is a microwave transmitter the size and shape of a small satellite dish that pivots on top of an armoured car.

ECONOMIST: Electromagnetic weapons