FBI clears terrorists of shining laser pointers
Found on The Register on Sunday, 02 January 2005
Terrorists have not engaged in a nationwide plot to annoy pilots with laser pointers, according to the FBI.
The FBI investigated 8 incidents over the past two weeks in which pilots reported seeing laser beams in their cockpits. The lasers appeared most often during takeoff and landing and were seen in Texas, Oregon, New Jersey and Ohio. As it turns out, the laser attacks were likely the result of accidents or just horseplay.
Ever vigilant, the FBI is now investigating a new laser incident after United Airlines pilots reported seeing a green light when taking off from Nashville International Airport. The pilots were able to complete the flight and landed unharmed here in Chicago.
I'm not going to discuss if those were real threats or just pranks. But when I read this, I remembered a quote from Jim McDermott: "Fear does work, yes. You could make people do anything if they're afraid. Well you make them afraid by creating an aura of endless threat. They played us like an organ. They raised the level, the orange and up to red and then they dropped it back to orange. I mean, they, they give these mixed messages which were crazy making. (...) They will continue, in my view, as long as this administration's in charge. Every once in a while still leading everybody to be afraid, just in case you forgot. It's not gonna go down to green or blue. It's never gonna get there. There clearly is no way that anyone can live constantly on edge like that."