[Ben Hecks]

***Maybe that was a "prototype exercise".***

There were about 30 high ranking Egyptian military officers on that flight who had just completed a joint training exercise in the U.S. IIRC, the aircraft left LAX empty, stopped at Edwards AFB to pick up the Egyptian officers then flew to JFK where the remaining passengers boarded. My theory is that the aircraft was taken down to send a signal to the Egpytian government.

[FairOpinion]

"My theory is that the aircraft was taken down to send a signal to the Egpytian government."

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Could be -- the jihadists seem to hate Arab governments who cooperate with the US almost as much as the US.