Drudge - cancelled flight believed headed to attack Las Vegas

12/25/03 | Drudge

[salbam]

Developing

[Headfulofghosts]

Did anyone else see the French news program, which detailed some of this? They stated, with a secret govt. report that 80% of weapons, etc, made it through their so called " checkpoints." The reporter, stated that despite the fact that France has spent billions of security, it hasn't done anything.

[cyncooper]

John Batchelor said on C-Span this morning that there was no reason to announce why the flights were canceled. That this is done all the time and it did not benefit the US to give out all the information.

I'm not impressed with Batchelor's "analysis" and conclusion.

I followed this as closely as I could on Wednesday, and what I gather happened was the fact of the cancellations became known only when the flight schedule at the airports showed "cancelled" for the flights. Then when an inquiry was made, the *French* informed that they had cancelled due to "security concerns". As more probing questions were presented it came out they had cancelled them at the behest of the U.S. government. That is when our government provided their statements regarding the issue. We do operate with as much transparency as they deem security will allow, and I'll trust their judgement over John Batchelor's pontifications any day.

[Teri0811]

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

AF068 was scheduled to depart from Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - France - Terminal 2E at 1:35PM and scheduled to arrive at LAX - Terminal 5 at 4:05PM. AF070 was scheduled to depart from CDG, Terminal 2E at 7PM and scheduled to arrive at LAX, Terminal B at 9:30PM. dddTN102 (An AirTahiti Flight) was scheduled to depart from Auckland/Papeete at 8:15AM but I don't know when it was scheduuled to arrive at LAX.

[Teri0811]

"Pulled this from the thread from yesterday regarding arrival times: CNN reports AirFrance Flights #68, 70 & 382 were canceled. 68 was to arrive in LAX 4:05pm, 70 at 9:30pm and 382 1:25pm in Cincinatti and then on to LAX."

The first 3 flights cancelled included AF068, which was scheduled to depart from Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - France - Terminal 2E at 1:35PM, scheduled to arrive at LAX - Terminal 5 at 4:05PM and AF070, which was scheduled to depart from CDG, Terminal 2E at 7PM, scheduled to arrive at LAX, Terminal B at 9:30PM. The 3rd flight was actually an AirTahiti flight (dddTN102, scheduled to depart from Auckland/Papeete at 8:15AM. The flight you listed as 382 was added when they decided to cancel all of the flights.

[Teri0811]

"One of those who did not appear for the Christmas Eve flight apparently is a trained pilot'...
Rip his fingers off one at a time, then proceed to his balls. This puke has got to tell what he knows."

That'd be nice but apparently, no one can find him. At least that's what FOX News said this morning. I have yet to hear this repeated.

[Teri0811]

"Plus Nellis airforce base is in the area. They'd be really stupid to try to fly near!"

They didn't have to fly near, according to FOX News, the route the flight was to have taken had the plane going over one major US city - Las Vegas.

[Teri0811]

"if the guys didn't show up and had tickets, one can assume they likely are being hunted down."

According to FOX News, the pilot that was suppossed to be or was on the flight and now cannot be located, was not schedule to fly nor was he scheduled to be on the plane as a passenger. However, I don't know about this story because I heard it reported once early this morning and haven't heard it again since. Could be because the story was killed, could be because the story seems to be a little confusion and could be because there's no real story there. I don't know if pilots are required to purchase tickets for flights when they're flying on the airline they're employed by so who knows, it's just a little tid bit I heard.

[Teri0811]

"I wonder if this flight from France was flying over Russia into LA from the west? In that case, Vegas isn't on the flight path and a plane continuing on to Vegas and not responding to radio would be shot down by fighters out of Nellis AFB. Now that would irritate the French."

Fox News is reporting that Las Vegas was the only major US city on the flight path.

[Teri0811]

"I don't get it...I seriously can't believe that these terrorists think they can hijack a commercial flight still."

What I don't get is that there's all this talk about an attack being one of a September 11th style or bigger and all these people were found to be booked on the same flight. One flight.

[HardStarboard]

>>>3.Was the flight cancelled because of a rumor or because of good info<<<

Good question! I'm wondering what happened to the rumor/fact (posted on FR and reported on FOX I believe) that the original heads up on the al Qaeda plot came from Iranian intelligence.

If anyone can elaborate on this - please post info.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..some passengers boarding Air France flight from Paris to Los Angeles 'intended to hijack it and crash land in Las Vegas', the WASHINGTON POST is planning to report in Page One leads on Friday, sources tell DRUDGE... officials said they 'remain suspicious about some passengers who did not show up at the airport to claim their seats on the ultimately aborted Flight 68 from Paris to Los Angeles...

That doesn't make sense.

How could they be 'passengers boarding', if they never even showed up at the airport?

[Embedded Freeper]

Vey?

Oy!

[Patriot_from_CA]

Yes, I read that the plane was going to fly in from the east over upstate New York and then move rapidly south into LA with Las Vegas near the flight path. That could make it tough to determine if the plane is really off course and for fighters to react fast enough. Someone said we were flying CAP over Las Vegas the other night, so the reaction time would be short.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Yes. Seriesly.

[Embedded Freeper]

I C hugh have caught on to *them*

[bootless]

These pukes don't care about the Mob.

You just reminded me of the movie "Eraser", where Ahnuld enlists the union mobsters in going after the bad guys. They didn't care about the crime going on, but when they found out that the cargo of weapons was being handled by nonunion workers at the docks, THAT was when they got into the act. Kind of funny.

Perhaps their organizational talents could be enlisted? I mean, if AQ aims to destroy the Strip, and the $$$ it brings in, I'd think that the mob would want to protect their interests.

All theoretical, of course.

[NYC GOP Chick]

*Them*?! You mean there's more than one?!

[Ben Bolt]

That was my belief from the beginning . Bump to read later tonight .

[Embedded Freeper]

Takes two to *tangle*

[NYC GOP Chick]

Yes, and?