Officials say al-Qaida operatives may be fully trained airline pilots

MSNBC.com ^ | 12/22/03 | NBC

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Authorities raised the terrorist threat assessment over the weekend after new intelligence indicated that operatives of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network, possibly trained and licensed to fly passenger jets, may now be pilots for some foreign airlines, ideally positioning them to carry out suicide attacks, U.S. officials told NBC News on Monday.

Reinforced cockpit doors intended to thwart hijackers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks would now protect any terrorist pilot at the controls, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Authorities would not describe the terror threats in detail publicly, but the U.S. officials told NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski that the threat alert would remain at “orange,” or high, through the end of January, which they said was an indication of its seriousness.

[little jeremiah]

And in the last few days there have been at least two judicial (somebody on another thread called judges "black robed Nazgul") rulings in favor of detainees? I can't remember exact details, but the terrorist detainees need to have lawyers and various frills as though they were arrested US citizens who had committed regular crimes, rather than enemy combatants and terrorist planners.

Also someone mentioned a TV show - "The Practice", IIRC - that made out Gitmo to be practically a concentration camp, with evil US military torturing them. Great propaganda on TV to feed the minds of the TV watching sheeple.

[GOPJ]

How long does it take to shut down a Nuke plant and evacuate in the event of a dirty bomb?

Two rural areas? Nuke Plants?

[BulletBobCo]

Most international flights would have very little fuel when they reach the US.

What flies into this country also has to fly out. That's when there is a very full fuel tank.

[xp38]

Not a happy thread to read going into Christmas. Hope whatever is out there is stopped by whoever. Perhaps that has happened already in the many past alerts. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

[oceanview]

absolutely, the terrorists will remain in the locale where it is easiest for them to survive. why try to make a go of it in afghanistan with the 10th mountain division chasing you, when you can be inside the US and be given protections by our court systems and judges? this is exactly what they are doing. that's why when there are all these FR threads trashing the patriot acts, I can understand the objections to it, but what is the alternative? the judicial branch in the US will not protect us, we know that, we know who sits on the bench in this country. so for now, we have to put our faith in the executive branch doing the right thing.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Bumping #83

[Pubbie]

Well then take out Mecca to.

[meyer]

Large crowds...rural areas...

Gettysburg, PA. comes to mind. It has symbolic value; there are always thousands of visitors, even in the dead of winter; it's not very far from Camp David, if they want a two-fer. G-burg has two large outlet malls...that Teddy Bear place and one other.

Don't the Bushes always spend Christmas at Camp David? I heard Laura say it's a tradition going back to the first Bush administraytion, when her children were little.

Camp David - I hadn't thought of that. Or, the ranch. Those are both rural. They hate America, but they hate George Bush even more. Almost as much as Howard Dean hates him.

[WackyKat]

It's the moon rock, and only the moon rock, that they fear....losing.

So your theory is if we destroy the Kaaba, they all just give up and go away?

I don't buy it- that's not the way religions work.

New events are rationalized and incorporated within the old belief system and the religion continues

[Defiant]

Way to tell it like it is, Hank.

[COEXERJ145]

If we have another Sept. 11th, not only will it kill the airline industry and Boeing but all of the related industries, suppliers, and vendors. It would tank the economy worse than we've ever seen.

[CaptSkip]

"Where are SAMs being deployed in the US? (Besides the White House)"

Pentagon, Capitol(AQ likes to finish targets-WTC), and with the latests intel, I hope at least MANPADS at as many of the hinted targets outside DC.

[danzaroni]

Don't forget that Egyptian pilot who deliberately took a whole planeload of people to their deaths on an Egypt Air flight a cuple of years ago

Thank you for mentioning that. By the way, if it's our worse nightmare, it's 10-times that for any airlines. I'm sure every one would cooperate with any investigative agency as well as conduct their own very deep investigations.

[little jeremiah]

To tell you the truth, I have less fear about the Patriot Act than I do about the freaking local county and state beaurocracies like the country building permit division. These guys are making my life hell.

Why would I care if the feds wanted to see what books I take out of the library? The Patriot Act is only dangerous to terrorists. I guess the real danger is that it could be misapplied. But if that happens, everything will be FUBAR.

[Mr. Mojo]

on Sept 12 2001, I wanted to see every illegal alien expelled and/or jailed. Every Arab non-US citizen expelled.

So did I. ....and on Dec. 22, 2003, my sentiments haven't changed one bit.

[Mr. Mojo]

Ping

[COEXERJ145]

"Where are SAMs being deployed in the US? (Besides the White House)"

One problem is if we are only deploying small SAMS line Stingers or similar IR missiles, there will be little chance of stopping a large airliner from hitting its target. Remember that just recently an SA-7 was unable to bring down a DHL A-300 cargo plane.

The best SAM to deploy would be the PAC-2 or PAC-3 with their large warheads. The PAC-2 has a 91kg HE warhead with a proximity fuze while the PAC-3 is a hit-to-kill system carrying a 73kg HE/Fragmentation warhead. Either one would stop an airliner a lot more effectively than a Stinger.

Of course the best thing to use against a hostile airliner is Phoenix missile with its 135 lb. warhead.

[Finalapproach29er]

Fly Combat Air Patrol (CAP) on the approach over the city. Higher altitude. Just like holding at the outer marker.

[Selene]

The U.S. revokes visas of 17 pilots who fly the Caracas-Miami route for Venezuelan airline
AP ^ | Dec 19, 2003

ALSO NOTE THIS (NOVEMBER 2003):

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1030219/posts
...Amid allegations that the Venezuelan government has given identity documents to foreign terrorists

[gdc61]

ok Rush ;)