So, the National Reconnaissance Office and Space Command are looking to set up a ground based laser system to clean up space debris. (paid subscription required)

And I’m Anna Nicole Smith….This isn’t an attempt to set up a cleaning system, this is an attempt to develop a laser based anti-satellite weapon, not withstanding their fig leaf of some sort of multinational effort:

To help offset such a negative reaction, [Andrew Palowitch, director of the “Space Protection Program”]Palowitch says, five lasers could be built and installed in five countries—­Russia, China, India, France and the U.S. All would be ­operated by an international consortium with “everybody participating equally with free access to the particular sites in a coordinated activity.”

Propose a regime, that you could never get the French to agree to, much less China, and then go and develop a satellite zapper on your own.

Seriously, how stupid do they think that we are?