Background

In April 1997, Navy Lieutenant Commander Jack Daly was partially blinded by a laser weapon fired by a Russian spy ship called the Kapitan Man. Daly was on an official reconnaissance mission, flying over U.S. waters, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, WA. The Kapitan Man, which is owned by the Far East Shipping Company, was allegedly conducting espionage activities. Despite the fact that a Russian vessel attacked a U.S. Serviceman in U.S. territory, both the Clinton and Bush Administrations refuse to fully investigate the matter. To this day, LCDR Daly suffers chronic, acute eye pain and steadily deteriorating vision. Judicial Watch brought legal action on behalf of LCDR Daly so that the parties and persons responsible for the laser attack are finally brought to
justice.

Key Excerpts:

Following are excerpts taken from a January 28, 1997 report by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. They concern illegal Russian activities in U.S. waters.

03/26/93 ­ INS receives intelligence from U.S. Customs indicating that crewmembers aboard the Russian vessel M/V KAPITAN MAN, a FAR EASTER SHIPPING COMPANY (FESCO) operated vessel, plan to smuggle furs, gems, and automatic weapons off the vessel when it arrives in Tacoma.

04/01/93 ­ A joint INS/U.S. Customs boarding and search of the Russian FESCO vessel M/V KAPITAN MAN uncovers some unusual things. Bathythermograph canisters and vials of an unknown white powdery substance were found in the Master's private storerooms.It is suspected that the canisters were deployed in Puget Sound to measure the water temperature and depth to enable the precise deployment of acoustic sensors. Such sensors could record the acoustic signatures of U.S. Navy vessels, including nuclear submarines, that travel through the Straits of Juan De Fuca.

Relevance:

In 1993 the Clinton INS and U.S. Customs officials uncovered convincing evidence that the Russian ship, the Kapitan Man, was conducting espionage activities in U.S. waters. While individual Russians were prosecuted and deported, the Kapitan Man was allowed to continue operating. Four years later, in April 1997, the ship would be responsible for attacking LCDR Jack Daly. All throughout the illegal activities of the Kapitan Man, from 1993 through today, the Clinton and Bush administration have practiced a policy of appeasement toward the Russians. Foreign policy has taken precedence over the protection of a United States serviceman. Meanwhile, Russian espionage continues.