Many American kids may be disappointed on Christmas morning because

the Sony PlayStation 2 they wanted wound up in Iraq.

Both the U.S. Customs Service and the FBI are investigating the

apparent transfer of large numbers of Sony PlayStation 2s to Iraq,

according to military intelligence sources.

A secret Defense Intelligence Agency report states that as many as

4,000 of the popular video game units have been purchased in the United

States and shipped to Iraq in the last two to three months.

What gives? Does Saddam Hussein have an extraordinarily long

Christmas shopping list? And why would U.S. military and intelligence

officials be concerned about such a transfer?

TRENDING: Alan Dershowitz sues CNN to halt 'malicious' attacks on innocent people

Two government agencies are investigating the purchases because the

PlayStations can be bundled together into a sort of crude super-computer

and used for a variety of military applications, say intelligence

sources.

"Most Americans don't realize that each PlayStation

unit contains a CPU -- every bit as powerful as

the processor found in most desktop and laptop

computers," said one military intelligence officer who

declined to be identified. "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."

A single PlayStation can generate up to 75 million polygons per

second. Polygons, as noted in the DIA report, are the basic units used

to generate the surface of 3-D models -- extremely useful in military

design and modeling applications.

"When I first saw this report, I was highly skeptical," said an

intelligence source. "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."

Additionally, Sony will make the process even easier with planned

upgrades to the system. Beginning early next year, you can purchase a

plug-in, 3.5 gig hard drive for the PlayStation, along with interface

units that allow integration into the World Wide Web. If the Iraqis have

trouble developing military software for the PlayStation computer

system, they can probably find needed assistance on the Internet, say

U.S. intelligence sources.

What could Iraq do with such a primitive super-computer constructed

with Sony PlayStation 2s?

"Applications for this system are potentially frightening," said an

intelligence source. "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."

Iraq has been working on development of UAVs for several years as a

possible platform for delivering chemical weapons, say intelligence

experts.

Bundled PlayStation computers could also be used to calculate

ballistic data for long-range missiles, or in the design of nuclear

weapons, they add. Iraq has long had difficulty calculating the

potential yield of nuclear devices -- a critical requirement in

designing such weapons. Networking these computers might provide a

method for correcting this deficiency, said one intelligence source.

So, why doesn't Saddam Hussein simply buy computers or workstations

from friendly nations or on the black market? While this is a

possibility, current United Nations sanctions prohibit the sale or

transfer of virtually all types of computer hardware and technology to

Iraq. However, computer-based video game systems -- like the PlayStation

2 -- are not included in the ban. Iraq's scientists and engineers have

apparently found a convenient loophole in the U.N. sanctions.

Defense experts say it is also relatively easy to smuggle

PlayStations into Iraq, since customs inspectors don't view toys as

potential military weapons. Jordanian and Turkish inspectors rarely

examine "small" shipments under 100 pounds, making it possible to send

large numbers of PlayStations into Iraq without arousing suspicion.

The Sony PlayStation 2 is one of the most popular all-in-one home

entertainment systems of its kind. At just over 4 pounds, it contains a

300 MHz-driven, 128-bit CPU. In addition to a plethora of new games

designed to utilize PlayStation 2's hardware, it can play games from

the original PlayStation's library, audio compact discs and DVD movies.

Not only has Saddam Hussein apparently found a creative way around

the computer embargo, he has helped to exacerbate the Sony PlayStation

2 shortage reported in many parts of the United States.



eToys.com and other e-tailers are sold out of the units and not expecting any more shipments in time for Christmas.