Letter: Lasers that blind

From Dominique Loye, International Committee of the Red Cross

We read with great interest your two articles about laser weapons (27 July, p 4, and 7 September, p 5). We very much welcome updates on developments in laser weapons and, in particular, the problem of laser systems that could permanently damage eyesight.

As the authors indicated, laser weapons specifically designed to cause permanent blindness are prohibited. However, contrary to what you state in the second article, this prohibition is not part of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It was, in fact, adopted in 1995 as Protocol IV to the 1980 UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

While laser systems which are not specifically designed to blind are allowed on the battlefield, states are required by Article 2 of Protocol IV to take all feasible precautions to avoid causing permanent blindness through the use of such systems.

Thus any armed forces intending to use a 100-kilowatt laser against material targets would have to ensure that precautions are taken to minimise the risk of indiscriminate effects on civilians and of permanent blindness to soldiers.

Geneva