Posted on 09/13/2004 5:21:49 AM PDT by KeyLargo
News
NBC reporters posing as terrorists try to charter a helicopter
Meg Godlewski 9/3/2004
Security at small airports in the United States recently increased not because of terrorist threats, but because of television reporters from NBC posing as terrorists.
On Aug. 11 an employee at a helicopter charter business at St. Louis Downtown Airport received a call from a man wanting to charter a helicopter. The man said he and a companion wanted to view the local landmarks, such as the nearby Gateway Arch, and perhaps do some videotaping.
The employee taking the call became suspicious when the man said money was no object and indicated he was in a hurry.
"Usually people want to know how much it will cost," said Bob McDaniel, airport director.
The two men arrived an hour later to take the flight. Adding to the staff's suspicions was the amount of luggage they had with them. "They had several duffel bags with them and some odd-shaped luggage," McDaniel said. "They also seemed nervous and were in a hurry to get into the air."
The employee became even more suspicious when the men presented driver's licenses from two different states and wanted to pay for the flight in cash.
"She looked outside and noticed the car they were driving was from a third state," said McDaniel. "All these things raised red flags with her. The pilot hadn't arrived yet, so she got a mechanic to come out and talk to the men about the helicopter. While he kept them busy, she went into the hangar and called 9-1-1 and the FBI. Meanwhile another mechanic was quietly disabling the helicopter so that it could not be started. There was no way they were going to fly in her helicopter."
The staff stalled the men until the police arrived.
"The police asked them questions and didn't like the answers they were getting, so they arrested them," said McDaniel. "When they searched their bags they found box cutters hidden in the lining, a glass bottle containing a liquid that turned out to be water, a box of powder that turned out to be ordinary foot powder, and several Leathermen tools."
Under questioning, the men admitted they were reporters from NBC and had been assigned to "test" the security at airports by attempting to charter a helicopter for terrorism.
According to McDaniel, the men recorded their phone conversation with the FBO employee and were planning to use it as part of a national news story about how easy it is to gain access to a helicopter and hijack it for a terrorist attack.
The "test" was in response to a recent report that terrorists were possibly targeting helicopter air tours as a means of attacking landmarks in the United States. The men also said that several other teams were attempting similar tests throughout the country.
When McDaniel learned who the men were and what they were doing, he immediately notified airport directors across the country. He is angry that NBC wasted the time not only of the airport businesses and administration, but also that of the law enforcement agencies responding to the phony threat.
"I'm not sure if the justice department is going to pursue this or not," he said. "NBC stated they did nothing wrong, that they were just testing the system. If you went into your bank and handed a teller a note that read ‘give me the money or I will shoot you' then when the police arrived you said you were just testing the system, I don't think the police would be pleased."
Aviation advocacy groups were quick to denounce NBC's tactics, noting that it amounted to generating fear and harassment. As for the story NBC was trying to get, the network broadcast a brief note about the incident that evening.
I anxiously await their story on the condition of security for charter helicopter services.
</sarcasm>
Justice Dept should definitely pursue this. Fraudulently trying to get control of an aircraft, while carrying proscribed tools and weapons? Jail time is appropriate for those reporters (and their producer).
If impersonating a terrorist isn't a crime, make it one.
Their masters if not directly responsible, should be billed for the expense of these deliberate, and frivolous, activities.
From ABC doing this during battle, to NBC revealing every weakness day-after-day this week,
the MSM obviously does their true masters very well.
These NBC paraterrorists belong in Gitmo for their terrorist action.
"If impersonating a terrorist isn't a crime, make it one."
I'll go you one even better. If impersonating a journalist isn't a crime, make it one. (Danny boy comes to mind)
I hope these guys go to prison.
Remember, kids, come up with your conclusions first, then go find a story to fit them.
If they are 'NBC reporters', they were not posing as terrorists, they probably are terrorists.
1) Slowly infiltrate US News outlets. Eventually, you will be able to suggest a news story like this to a producer. With your swarthy looks and thick accent, you will be a good choice to "test" the system.
2) Fill a duffel bag with all of the violent tools you think you will need, and boldly bring this to the airport.
3a) If stopped by security, laugh that you are a journalist pursuing a story. Then go home and think of another way to accomplish your goals.
3b) If not stopped by security, take off and cause as much death and destruction as you can.
I believe their acts were criminal and they should be prosecuted and NBC exposed.
It's obvious from their supplies that they intended to release their liquid and powder over some significant event. Does anyone know of a significant event in the St Louis area in the Aug 11 timeframe?
Was there a Kerry campaign event?
Missouri's a battleground state, right? I hope the NBC personnel who are applying for press credentials to cover President Bush's many visits there are getting exhaustive and invasive examination by the Secret Service each time.
Put them and their superiors away for a while. This is not their job!
Hey this is serious! Imagine if the Japanese used 70 year-old caucasian grandmothers with southern accents to infiltrate and sabotage key military bases during WWII.
I say if people want to screw around with the system like this - they get treated exactly like they were the real thing. That might inhibit some of these smartasses who are dimwittedly forcing common sense out of our security procedures.
Maybe they can charter one from Food Lion.
The REAL question is whether NBC will still air the story in order to show what really happened. It does show that security has improved, that helps Bush. What will NBC do?
Will NBC pay for the criminal defense for their employees?
This has FOX expose written all over it.
"I'm sorry, officer, but there's no need for you to hurry to get here. See, one of the men made a suspicious movement toward one of the duffel bags and, when we told him to stop and he didn't, we shot both of them."
They claim they did nothing wrong but they also said they taped the phone conversation with the helicopter agency. It seems to me that Linda Tripp was excoriated for that behavior (in the press). Remember the two slugs who followed Newt Gingrich around with a scanner? Didn't they also land in hot water for taping a phone call.
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