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| Korea |
| N. Korea fired laser at troops |
| 2003-05-13 |
| 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 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 is a weapon that can cause eye damage at ranges up to three miles. The incident was kept secret until defense officials disclosed it to The Times. 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. If they did it didn't do any good. The illumination occurred around the time 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. Army Col. Samuel T. Taylor, a spokesman for U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), said the helicopter incident occurred during a routine training mission. "Two USFK pilots were alerted by onboard laser-detecting equipment that laser systems may have illuminated their aircraft," Col. Taylor said in a statement. "Neither pilot was injured, and no equipment was damaged." Col. Taylor said laser detections occur occasionally along the DMZ. "North Korea's military employs both laser range-finding equipment and laser-designating equipment throughout its force," he said. However, U.S. intelligence officials said an internal analysis of the incident suggests North Korea has acquired Chinese-made ZM-87 antipersonnel lasers. "These are blinding laser weapons," said one official. 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. The ZM-87 is the world's only laser device designed for use against troops. 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. One intelligence official also said the North Koreans may have manufactured their own version of the Chinese laser gun. Crystallized orange juche for the laser and some white slag for the power emittors. North Korean defectors have identified the Mangyo Jewel Processing Factory, near the capital of Pyongyang, as a facility that produces lasers for precision-guided weapons. Add it to the target list. The Apache pilots and crew were not wearing laser eye protection when the incident occurred. Since the incident, air crews patrolling the DMZ have been required to wear eye protection intended to thwart any laser attacks. North Korea's official radio last week accused the United States of using laser weapons in Iraq, including arms that "blind the enemies' eyes and incapacitate weapons' sights." ... Lasers weapons or lasers with weapons capabilities can be purchased from Russia, China and Armenia. Lasers also can be effective in crippling air operations, the report stated. "The psychological effect of lasers on operational forces represents one of the most unpredictable aspects of the threat to air operations," it said. In June, the Navy deployed new antilaser goggles that can be worn by pilots and air crew. Good. The ratbirds in NK need some attention. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 Ghaddafi was (and is) sane enough to get the message. I don't think Kimmie would react quite the same way if we bombed the French Embassy in Pyongyang. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2003-05-13 14:53:39 |
| #8 What does Tom Clancy think of all of this? He had a jetliner crashing into the capitol building during the State of the Union address and blinding laser guns in, I think, "Debt of Honor". |
| Posted by: Michael 2003-05-13 14:49:13 |
| #7 Tokyo Taro's right on target. Let the North Koreans spend themselves to collapse. However, Ptah, I think PD might be correct; North Korea's population is isolated from the world in ways Iraq's never was. I'm pretty certain the population knows how bad the situation is; the problem is that they may not understand why that is. North Korea is virtually a nation of shock victims; the average North Korean's ability to comprehend his environment is probably quite low at this point (of course, I usually feel the same way about South Korean university students). They are probably more likely to blame the US for their woes than their own government - North Korean propaganda really plays to feelings of victimization, a theme that resonates strongly on both sides of the DMZ. I don't see a revolution happening any time soon, although I could be wrong (and frequently am). The state may need to be pushed slightly in order for it to collapse. |
| Posted by: The Marmot 2003-05-13 07:52:12 |
| #6 Good idea, Tokyo Taro. PD. I think the populace knows their leader is bad news for them, in the same way that the Iraqis knew Saddam was bad for them. However, both leaders have similar control apparati, so the people are coping in similar ways: Conform outwardly, cope and hope inwardly. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-05-13 07:11:28 |
| #5 Insanity incarnate. If it weren't for the fact that 95% of the population has absolutely no clue what a joke their leader is and what a disaster their country is, then it would be simple: tell the S.K.'s to forget howling at the moon at the graves of their dead N.K. relatives and turn that place into a smokin' hole. May end up there, anyway. Kim Jong Il is, without a doubt, the looniest toon to come along since Khadaffi Duck himself... and that is truly saying something. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-05-13 05:30:37 |
| #4 Time to make a more serious effort to interdict their heroin trafficking. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2003-05-13 05:26:17 |
| #3 A good little arms race could be a good strategy. Get the N. Koreans to try and spend what little they have to improve their lasers and other high tech weapons. Up the ante. Build counter measures. Force them to adapt and adjust. As McLeod mentions, they do not have the resources for this but they can't stop themselves. Their only concern is deterring an American invasion. When the money is gone, the country will finally collapse. |
| Posted by: Tokyo Taro 2003-05-13 03:36:58 |
| #2 People are starving in NKOr and there are reliable reports of mass suicides in some towns where the people are killing themselves rather than face a wasting away to nothingness...yet Kimmie has money for high-tech weapons...disgusting. |
| Posted by: R. McLeod 2003-05-13 02:38:39 |
| #1 Aren't intentional blinding lasers banned by some convention or other? |
| Posted by: someone 2003-05-13 01:48:19 |