Still following all the latest on the laser beam mystery for you…

This guy may have just been fooling around, but there is still plenty of concern about what may really be going on here. Phantom at The Daily Brief reminds us:

Since 2002, the FBI has been issuing warnings about shoulder fired missiles being smuggled into the U.S. The effective range of older shoulder fired missiles is between 11,000 and 15,000 feet and can be fired from up to 3 miles away from the target. Newer models, which are already bring copied by the likes of North Korea, China and Pakistan have ranges exceeding 22,000 feet with greater stand off distances.

[MM adds: The FBI warning was prompted by Sudan's arrest of a suspected al Qaeda operative believed to have tried to shoot down a U.S. plane with shoulder-fired missiles in Saudi Arabia.]

In September of 2003, the Department of Homeland Security began soliciting bids for anti-missile devices for commercial aircraft. That was the beginning of an 18 to 24 month screening process.

In late December of 2004, it was revealed that Los Angeles Airport (LAX) was increasing its preparedness for a shoulder fired missile attack. John Miller, head of the LAPD Counterterrorism Bureau, explained that about 20,000 shoulder-fired missiles were currently on the black market. The black market prices range from $5,000 to $30,000, presumably based on the vintage of the weapon.

We have seen how cost conscious terrorists tend to be. Why waste an investment of $5000 to $30,000 when it turns out your target is beyond the range of your black market missile.

The laser activity is more than likely a target acquisition exercise.

And people are taking notes.

There are too many cities and too many locations reporting laser incidents. In my view, they are calculating maximum ranges, with no intent to blind the crew. ..

A reader agrees with Phantom and adds:

These [al Qaeda] punks are patient and plan, plan, plan. Approaches to major APOs change as wind direction and speed change. My guess is we are seeing the ?casing? of US APOs for multiple simultaneous attacks on a given day. For that the attackers have to have multiple sites picked out so they can execute on the given day despite the wind direction and speed…I would hope that the DHS, FAA and Other agencies are not sleeping at the switch and failing to use their ?imagination” (9/11 report).

Rodger Morrow, who has an excellent blog, rounds up pilots’ comments on the laser beam mystery (most do not buy the “it was a bunch of kids and hobbyists goofing off” theory). Rodger also opines:

It’s fine?as Phantom notes and as I mentioned earlier?that the Feds are soliciting bids for another missile-defense initiative designed to protect air traffic. But, if al Qaeda already is in the rehearsal stage, it’s a bit late to go the high-tech route.

Right now, we need to figure out where those lasers have been coming from. Because?in all likelihood?that’s where the missiles will be coming from next.

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Previous coverage:

Another laser beam mystery

Bright lights, big responsibility

Beam me up

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