[Jonah Hex]

A Navy helo pilot suffered eye damage several years ago while inspecting a Russian freighter off Seattle. Seems like somebody on the bridge decided to lase him. The DOD was up in arms, but the Boys From Can't Find Their Own Foggy Bottom (i.e. the State Department) quashed the U.S. response.

OBTW, did I mention this occurred during the Clinton occupation?

[kenth]

quashed the U.S. response.

and tried to quash the pilot, his honor, and what was left of his career too, didn't they?

[Xcoastie]

Coast Guard helped investigate the incident with a subsequent bording of the Russian "fishing" vessel. Vessel was believed to be tracking submarine acoustics in the straight of Juan de Fuca as the Russians have done for years "covertly" mapping our sub sounds.

Anyway the helicopter incident was '97 or '98 and a couple RCMPs were aboard the helicopter with the USNA pilot. After looking at all the facts and superficially looking aboard the vessel for a super Russian laser gun designed to take out pilot retinas, it was decided that the Russians probably were using a laser distance finder to see exactly how close the helicopter was approaching their vessel.

That was the story in a nutshell as far as can be declassified for the perpetuation of conspiracy theories. Now the super laser gun is being used against Delta pilots... too bad the Russians didn't use their killer weapon against the terrorists in Chechnya.

[savagesusie]

A Navy helo pilot suffered eye damage several years ago while inspecting a Russian freighter off Seattle. Seems like somebody on the bridge decided to lase him. The DOD was up in arms, but the Boys From Can't Find Their Own Foggy Bottom (i.e. the State Department) quashed the U.S. response.

I remember this happening and the Clinton administration silenced it.

[lizma]

I think it was Bill Gertz who discovered that Clinton's State Dept. tipped of the freighter that they were going to be invested giving them time to hide anything incriminating.
A Candian pilot was also injured.