N. Korea Fired Laser at Troops

[The Finman]

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<h2><font color=#003399>N. Korea fired laser at troops</font></h2>
North Korea's military fired a laser in March at two U.S. Army helicopters patrolling the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in what U.S. officials call a provocative action, The Washington Times has learned.

Two Apache attack helicopters were illuminated by lasers in early March by a weapon that had the characteristics of a Chinese laser gun, an indication that North Korea has deployed a new and potentially lethal weapon.

The Chinese laser gun, however, is a weapon that can cause eye damage at ranges up to three miles.

It could not be learned whether the laser incident was discussed in periodic meetings between U.S., South Korean and North Korean military officials at the Panmunjom truce village.

The March laser illumination of the Apache helicopters occurred around the time that four North Korean jets intercepted a U.S. spy plane.

Both incidents occurred around the time the Pentagon announced it was sending 21 B-1 and B-52 bombers to Guam in response to the growing threat of North Korea and the latest crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear arms program.

"Two USFK pilots were alerted by onboard laser-detecting equipment that laser systems may have illuminated their aircraft," Col. Taylor said in a statement.

According to the officials, the two Apache attack helicopters were airborne about two miles south of the milewide DMZ when laser sensors on both aircraft went off.

It can cause injuries to human eyes at a range of just under two miles, and with a special magnification device it can damage eyes at distances of up to three miles, military specialists say.

By contrast, lasers used to guide weapons and in range-finding equipment work at shorter distances than the Chinese laser weapon.

Since the incident, air crews patrolling the DMZ have been required to wear eye protection intended to thwart any laser attacks.

A classified report by the Army's National Ground Intelligence Center produced in 1999 warned that Serbia's armed forces might resort to laser warfare against U.S. pilots during the air war over Kosovo.

"The greatest potential threat of lasers being used as range finders, target designators, or even blinding weapons would come from the [Serbian] Special Operations Corps [63rd and 72nd brigades]," the report said.

Thomas Fargo, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, told reporters last month that the bomber deployment to Guam is to make sure "we have the proper deterrent posture in place."


Full Article <font color="red"><u>Here</u></font>

My patience is about run out with idiots...apparently Kim Jong wasn't paying attention to operation "Shock & Awe" [img]graemlins/flamingmad.gif[/img]

[Hane]

My patience is about run out with idiots...apparently Kim Jong wasn't paying attention to operation "Shock & Awe"

I think Kimmy is trying the bravado/macho thing first. Eventually, he will be slapped into his senses.

[Edith Piaf]

i think que this is becoming a reason to commence retaliation and to use actions militaires. this nut must be stopped

[Thor Jr]

Personally I hope we hold off on the military action thing for a couple of years . . . .
I figure it will take me about that long to get into an ANG squadron.

[Snake007x]

I just really hope we take out Kim Jong Il. The world would be a better place without him ruling over any part of it. I just hope the current administration is taking the right approach.

[Dutch]

Possibly the worst and best thing to ever happen to North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan and every other backwards nation was that 9-11-01 occurred very early on in the Administration of a Republican President.

When the terrorist attacks occurred in Beirut, Reagan was dealing with dismantling the USSR, and getting reelected. Although I have heard many a liberal state Reagan did nothing about terrorism, and then with the very next breath hypocritically cry “Iran- Contra”; Reagan did not have enough of a defining moment like the attacks of 9-11 to justify systematically removing true evil around the world. Additionally, an undertaking like that would have taken more time than Reagan would have had left even with being reelected.

W entered this battle less than 8 months into his Presidency and has a little more than 7 years to focus and get the job done. The biggest distraction to the War on Terrorism will be the 2004 elections and the democrats working in concert with every mongrel terrorist to get Bush out of office.

This War on Terrorism is actually WWIII, except it is not going to be a run like the first two European world wars. There is not one country that can take on America by itself, and countries that conspired openly in the past can no longer do so because 9-11 has provided America will all the justification we need to topple any and all governments we see as a threat.

A day or two after 9-11, W stated in a way that was more of a firm explanation to a reporter and anyone else listening that, “Terrorism is the focus of my Administration.” With a little better than 7 years to wage this war almost uninterrupted, a lot of nations that found 9-11 a cause for celebration will so learn that it was really the epitaph for their way of life.

I have stated that first Iraq, then Iran will fall several times. Soon Special Ops in conjunction with the CIA will cause the leadership in Iran to crumble. Syria and Jordan might also witness the uprising of those who have only wished to live in peace, but were forced to kowtow to whims of an oppressive regime.

North Korea is on the list, but we will need a few months to restock our precision weaponry and unleash some of the technology in the chute right now. It will be far easier to push Iran over while replenishing, than to waste one single American life engaging North Korea today in what would still be a foregone conclusion.

9-11 was the beginning of the end for these atrocious countries and I guess Kim Jong Il is just too eager to get himself first in line on the US butt kicking tour. I would love nothing more if Donald Rumsfeld answered the next question as to what advice he would offer concerning North Korea with, “Pipe down and wait your turn”.

[Snake007x]

On Iran-Contra. Those people should really watch a few more documentaries. Reagan had no trouble supplying the Iranians with weapons because it furthered his strategy. He was willing to let Khomeini and Hussein's forces fight while god sorted them out, and get those hostages out of Beirut. On one hand, the world didn't need Hussein, a dictator friendly with the Soviets completing his dream and getting his hands on all of the oil in the Middle East. On the other hand, the west didn't need a theocratic fascist nut controlling 40% of the world's oil either. The way they were armed was designed to keep the war at a draw. God knows what the world would be like if the anti-western Iran or the Soviet friendly Iraq controlled all of that oil. We may have very well had a world war to deal with at that point.

I think the Reagan administration did a bit more to fight Muslim terrorists than most people give it credit for. We took out a lot of Colonel Qaddafi's training camps in Tripoli. The Contras were key to taking out a terrorist supporting regime like that of Daniel Ortega's since Nicarague became a very nice place for the PLO, Libyans, and IRA to set up camp.

It's my opinion that the Reagan administration was more busy taking out the bigger threat at the time, the Soviet Empire. However they weren't looking the other way when it came to dealing with Middle Eastern thugs and were getting reading to release hell when it would be possible.

I think had Bush Senior, who wasn't as good as Reagan, but had his head screwed on straight had won the Presidency and that nit wit Ross Perot hadn't run and let Clinton win by a plurality, everyone would be a lot better off. Bush stopped taking bull**** from Noriega, and took him outof power. He didn't take **** from Hussein in '91 and got our best men and women beat the hell out of him (but unfortunately thought an uprising would finish the job). Let's face it, had Dole or Bush been President during Clinton's years, we would have taken out Saddam a very long time ago.

But you made a good point about North Korea. Now I'm much more confident in our ability to deal with Kim.

[Edith Piaf]

i think ronald reagan did many things to stop terrorisme in lybie. remember the lybie raid agains khadaffy? he aussi aided to stop terrorisme and promote democracie but as you said there was not a <<9-11>> event as defining at the 80s. aussi, ronald reagan did nothing wrong en iran-contra. it was seacord/poindexter. ronald reagan did all the right things.
personnally i think north corée has needs of régime change quickly. what was done to saddaam very successfully et valiantly must be done to him. he is much danger

[Snake007x]

Well there's a method to the madness. Reagan didn't want Hussein or Ayatollah Khomeini to win the war. Giving Khomeini weapons didn't amount to a fart in a hell storm considering the weapons of mass destruction Hussein had, and how much more advance the Republican Guard was than the Iranian Army. Ayatollah Khomeini, if he controlled the middle east would keep the oil to himself to crush the west. If Hussein had created his Socialist Arab state, god knows what would have happened. We knew he was pretty friendly with the Soviets and risking a large scale seizure of power by him could very well be destructive to the world as we know it. Supplying the Iranians and the Iraqis with weapons, to keep the Iran-Iraq war at a draw may have very well prevented World War 3.

Basically it was a pro and con situation. Unfortunately the Iranians were getting weapons on the con side. On the pro side they were being played for fools, as well was Saddam Hussein. The funds were helping fund the Contras to put an end to Soviet imperialism in Central America. And there were tons of terrorists that were taking safe haven in Nicaragua, and that government had to be taken out for doing so on top of planning to take El Salvador and Panama. I think that funding the Contras also prevented an even bloodier war from taking place in Central America.

[Edith Piaf]

i understand rationale of iran/contra and i understand to balance power of iran et irak and stop terrorisme there and in nicaragua. sandanistas were aussi terroristes, but for north corée, i say nuke them and rid of kim he is evil as much as hussein.