Drudge - cancelled flight believed headed to attack Las Vegas

12/25/03 | Drudge

[hoosiermama]

Cracking it or damaging it.Putting it out of commission. How much power do you think it produces?

Haven't we educated a few ME engineers? Probably studied the Hoover Dam in class. Know all about how it's put together.

[kcvl]

Home > 9/11 > Mohammed Atta in Prague


By Richard M. Smith of www.ComputerBytesMan.com
Updated June 19, 2002 (Original version June 16, 2002)


Introduction

The Czech government claims it has evidence that on April 8, 2001, Mohammed Atta, the ring-leader of the 9/11 hijackers, met in Prague with Ahmed Khalil Ibrahim Samir al-Ani, an Iraqi government official. Mr. Al-Ani worked in the Iraqi embassy in Prague. This meeting is controversial because the Czech and U.S. governments now disagree if this meeting ever occured or not. This FAQ attempts to look at all sides of this complex issue.


http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:ppNroDdGhOsJ:www.computerbytesman.com/911/praguefaq.htm+al-Ani,+Prague,+atta&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

[nwctwx]

French police sources said that after they received the U.S. information, six people were questioned but no one was arrested. All of the men had tickets for Air France Flight 68 to Los Angeles and were on a watch list provided by U.S. authorities, an Interior Ministry spokesman said. THIS IS FROM CNN.COM So, the frogs did release them...

This story is all very interesting but AQ and other such organizations (namely AQ) have a history of setting up operatives that are supposed to be caught or misdirect. I find it hard to find much relief in the fact that these guys merely did not "show up".

As far as Vegas being a target, I wonder how anyone would conclude that based on anything other than the fact that the casinos were one of the few businesses open today.

[f7Oshawn]

Good question. what were the arrival times in LAX. Vegas is what..90 minutes out of that?

Less than that...more like 25-35 minutes.

[I'll be your Huckleberry]

Smoke -

Either "muscle" or non-players.

When you read that US INTEL gave France "secret" info, then:

1. It is understood that the information will be leaked to the bad guys.

2. Implies ulterior motive.

3. Public disinformation or French humiliation

Watch for the few who did not show up - Pilot and key players.

[go star go]

they showed up. france turned them loose.

[go star go]

No. It means we expected France to hold the terrorist for us, not turn them loose.

[nwctwx]

they showed up. france turned them loose.

do you have something to back that claim up with?

[billhilly]

Crashing a plane in Vegas? That's one that Al Wynn missed. It would have been a big TV draw.

[Ex-Dem]

There're two major problems with that.

1) What if the flight crew is infiltrated by Al Qaeda? Then reinforced cockpit doors are going to be worthless (less than worthless because the passengers can't stop the pilot from crashing the plane).

2) What if the passengers aren't American or British or some other nationality which takes terrorism seriously? The Brits have had to deal with IRA terrorism. We've had 9-11. What if the passengers were Swedish or French?

[YoungKentuckyConservative]

From the same Drudge that purposely printed an "incorrect" top ten list of best selling books in 2003? I think I'll wait for "other" reputable sources to confirm this statement before I take it as gospel. I've lost much trust on the Drudge-ster.

[reagan_fanatic]

The only fight the French pilots would put up would be the fight to get past the hijackers so they could run to the back of the plane..

[hoosiermama]

Thread on NJ power plants being a target, makes a person wonder if the power producers, dams etc are targets.

Look how we've complained about the previous outages. Certainly could give them some ideas of where we'd be hurt.

[TomGuy]

France Released Terror Suspects Today!

[Lurking in Kansas]

do you have something to back that claim up with?

according to UPI:

U.S. security said earlier that a number of suspicious people were planning to board Air France planes. But French officials told the BBC seven men had been freed after questioning. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry described the investigation as all but on hold.

[lonestar]

I know about 15 people going to Vegas between Dec. 30 and Jan 6; 10 in one group and 5 in another. Relatives (10)and close friends. (couple and their triplets who just turned 21.)

You couldn't pay me to go to Vegas over New Year's Eve.

[f7Oshawn]

True, the flight crew could be infiltrated by Al Qaeda and the pilots, several crew members on a long haul flight, would have to either be restrained or also in with Al Qaeda.

Of course anything can happen when you're flying. The passengers lives are in the hands of many people on a flight and you have to trust that those things won't happen.

[DUDLEY]

Merry Christmas to all freepers and lurkers!!

My husband and some friends of ours just got back from Vegas on Tuesday the 23rd. I was nervous about the flight to Vegas and back to Texas. (because of the Hoover Dam) Also, while I was there it did cross my mind that it would be an easy target. Noone was hurt,us or anyone from an attack originating from Paris (the most recent threat), thanks be to God.

[Ex-Dem]

Wouldn't it take quite a bit to knock Hoover Dam out?

Yes it would.

...trying to navigate a commercial jetliner through the canyon would be a difficult task, he said. The canyon walls or the transmission towers and lines "would probably tear the wings off before you hit."

Even if a plane were able to make a direct hit, "I don't think it would do anything to (the dam)," Bayne said.

"It's very massive," he said.

Unlike the hollowness of high-rise buildings constructed of steel and concrete such as the fallen World Trade Center towers, Bayne said Hoover Dam is made of solid layers of concrete and is essentially as thick as it is tall. It is 726-feet tall, 45-feet wide across the top, 660-feet wide at the bottom and weighs 6.6 million tons.

The worst-case scenario that experts analyze takes into account what would happen if the dam structure suddenly was demolished -- either by a natural or other event. "It's like saying you'd have to yank the whole dam out instantaneously," he said.

But there's no way that would happen, Bayne said. Portions of the dam would remain and massive fragments from the structure itself would impede water flow to some degree through the narrowness of the canyon. In addition, Davis Dam is a mile north of Laughlin, which would further negate a massive flood.

A commercial airline pilot from the Las Vegas Valley, who flies the same type of jetliners as those involved in last week's terrorist strikes, said he too has doubts that a fully fueled Boeing 757 or 767 would compromise Hoover Dam's structural integrity.

"I'm not sure if an airplane hit it, it would breach it. It's pretty thick," said the pilot who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2001/Sep-16-Sun-2001/news/17003279.html

[ridesthemiles]

In all seriousness, what is there in Vegas that a plane can purposely hit? And just how crowded is Vegas at this time of year?

National Finals Rodeo just finished up there with a 10 day run. Every night is always a sell-out. Tickets and room packages are gone by Feb 1 almost every year. Last night the Las Vegas Bowl was held, Oregon State Beavers against New Mexico Lobos. Osu 55 NM 7? I think? That game was in Sam Boyd stadium, an open top field. Would have made a great target for terrorists. I don't know the seating capacity, but it was well lit up and the night was very clear.
Christmas in Las Vegas is a great place if you are single or have no kids. The rooms aren't as pricey as New Years, and everything is open. Food is a wide range, along with lots of entertainment. So to answer you, Las Vegas can be very crowded this time of year, with all the game attendees and the others.