Web site exposes Air Force One defenses

SF Chron ^ | Saturday, April 8, 2006 | Paul J. Caffera

[Drango]

Whenever the president travels, security is a prime consideration. Motorcade routes are kept secret, and premature release of information about a presidential trip aboard one of the twin Air Force One planes can result in the Secret Service canceling a visit.

Thus, the Air Force reacted with alarm last week after The Chronicle told the Secret Service that a government document containing specific information about the anti-missile defenses on Air Force One and detailed interior maps of the two planes -- including the location of Secret Service agents within the planes -- was posted on the Web site of an Air Force base.

The document also shows the location where a terrorist armed with a high-caliber sniper rifle could detonate the tanks that supply oxygen to Air Force One's medical facility. (~snip)

[Drango]

Unbelievable. Well this is posted on the SF Chron web site and is now VERY public, so posting it here won't matter.

[SIDENET]

Of course, nobody will go to jail for this.

[Riley]

The document also shows the location where a terrorist armed with a high-caliber sniper rifle could detonate the tanks that supply oxygen to Air Force One's medical facility.

(rolls eyes)
Here we go again.

Agreed- detailed plans of AF1 ought not be public information- but SF Gate couldn't let a day go by without banging this particular pet drum.

[Southack]

"It is tough enough for the Secret Service to do its job without this," said Leon Panetta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, who now runs a public policy study center at California State University at Monterey Bay. "If I were still chief of staff, I would order the damned site (to) pull it down."

That final quote above was added to the article solely because Andrew Card has resigned. It's a free hit.

[nmh]

The Bush haters are on over drive. You know darn well they want Bush dead. Look at the lengths they are willing to go to, to accomplish this. It sickens me.

[freedomson]

Liberals, the American wing of Al-Queida.

[nmh]

It seems to me that if papers and others can't be responsible then, sue them. Bring them to their knees financially and quickly put them OUT OF BUSINESS.

The media really wants you to think they can report ANYTHING - even if it jeopardizes our nation or our REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT and REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION.

[jude24]

The Bush haters are on over drive. You know darn well they want Bush dead. Look at the lengths they are willing to go to, to accomplish this.

Uhhh.... this was published on a USAF website. I don't think there is a large population of "Bush haters" in the USAF. The SanFran Chronicle only reported that this was now public knowledge without giving any detailed specifics.

[wolfcreek]

This sounds like an episode of "24"!

[El Gato]

If I were still chief of staff, I would order the damned site (to) pull it down."

The President's CoS has no such power. He's not in the chain of command. Now he could recommend that the President order the SecDef to have the article pulled down, or even ask the SecDef directly to have it done, but he could not order it.

Given that this was released on an official Air Force website, it's a good possibility that the security aspects were examined ahead of time. It's also (slightly) possible that the information was not entirely correct. The Air Force is not above a bit of disinformation in the interests of protecting the President.

Personally I think the SF paper just wanted to take a whack at the military, and by implication at President Bush.

It's interestting that they do no identify which Air Force website the thing is supposed to be on, isn't it?

[El Gato]

Well this is posted on the SF Chron web site and is now VERY public, so posting it here won't matter

It wouldn't matter anyway, the article contains zero, nada, information about Air Force One, other than the fact that it has an anti-missle defense and a dispensary of some sort, with an oxygen tank. Big Whoop.

[sure_fine]

decoy

[Aliska]

Maybe it was a duplicate thread so the other one got pulled? Somebody goofed evidently and when you work for the military at a low level (the people who would have actually put it on the net) you don't question your superiors and do as you are told . . .unless you have a lot of courage, integrity, and self-confidence.

It could have been put out there for a reason.

[Aliska]

The Bush haters are on overdrive. I thought of that.

But if it's on a military website, why blame the second tier, the newspaper, for reporting on it? Tough call on both sides how it happened and why it got reported and, no, I've not a mind to try to track the thing down.

[Riley]

This is the same thread that got pulled. I was in the middle of posting something when it disappeared- now it's back.

[Aliska]

decoy. I thought of that, too.

[Aliska]

Same here! Had my post ready to send and it was gone. Can't they track IP address for hits on a web page?

[1rudeboy]

Oxygen? On an airliner? Sacre bleu!

[Riley]

But if it's on a military website, why blame the second tier, the newspaper, for reporting on it?

News organizations are like toddlers. One expects certain behavior from them and ought not be surprised when it happens. If this is the screw-up that it appears to be, then whoever posted the information on the website- and whoever was responsible for review of posted content bears the responsibility. As much as I detest the MSM- I cannot fault them for this one.

[mkjessup]

Same here! Had my post ready to send and it was gone. Can't they track IP address for hits on a web page?

IP addresses are meaningless for those savvy enough to be familiar with two words:

Proxy Servers.