Larry Dighera wrote:

"Lasers are easily obtainable and can be self-manufactured
weapons in the terrorist arsenal, which essentially can effect a
soft-kill solution and leave virtually no detectable evidence," he
said.

The "Hunt for Red October" author used something similar in one of his
books. A spy used such a technique to bring down enemy aircraft by
"flashing" them while on short final.

He also used the idea of airliners flown into buildings well before 2001.

- Andrew