Jasper Green Lasers: useful tool or terrorist weapon?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Dr. A. Michael Berman" <amberman () csupomona edu>
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 14:46:45 -0800
To: <dave () farber net>
Subject: RE: [IP] Jasper Green Lasers: useful tool or terrorist weapon?

New Jersey man admits to pointing laser at aircraft
Last Updated Tue, 04 Jan 2005 15:51:00 EST
NEWARK, N.J. - Federal authorities in the U.S. have charged a New Jersey man
who caused a safety scare by pointing lasers at aircraft.
It's the first arrest in connection with a rash of laser-beam incidents
involving aircraft in late December. Pilots have reported having lasers
directed at them in Colorado Springs, Cleveland, Washington, Houston and
Nashville during the Christmas period. All the aircraft landed safely.
Last week, the FBI and U.S. Homeland Security Department sent out a memo
warning of terrorist plans to use lasers as weapons, but not necessarily in
the United States. 
* FROM DEC. 31, 2004: FBI probes reports of lasers beamed at cockpits
<http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/12/31/laser-planes041231.html>
David Banach, 38, was arrested New Year's Eve after a police helicopter
spotted him playing with the laser on his back porch near Teterboro Airport
in New Jersey. He is expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon. Banach's
lawyer says her client is not a terrorist and has no ties to terrorist
organizations. 
On Dec. 29, pilots preparing to land a chartered jet at Teterboro with 13
people on board reported seeing three green laser beams hit the windshield,
blinding the pilot and co-pilot briefly. Two days later, a helicopter in the
same area reported it was hit by a beam.
Court documents indicate Banach originally claimed his daughter aimed a
laser at the helicopter but later admitted he pointed the light beam at two
aircraft, including the helicopter.
Banach faces charges of interfering with the operator of a mass
transportation vehicle and making false statements to the FBI.
Written by CBC News Online staff <http://www.cbc.ca/bios.html>
 
 

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