An article that appeared in Readers Digest (p125 October 1999) called Shot by a Laser tells how the Russians used lasers in peace time to damage the eyes of American pilots and how the Clinton administration swept that under the rug as part of his appeasement policy of the Russians.  This story is also discussed in the book Betrayal by Bill Gertz.  

    Israel appeased Russia by withholding weapons from Georgia.  That hasn't stopped Russia from arming Syria.