Space Based Lasers ( SBL ) are NOT a scrapped weapon idea!
In fact the research continues at full steam! They'll be able to kill you from orbit yet.

http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/sbl.htm

The Senate Armed Services Committee ended its FY2001 authorizations by boosting spending on military space programs and technologies by $98.2 million, chairman Sen. John Warner's office announced.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/laser-00f.html

Here's a site on the testing of the technology:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/laser-00e.html