9/11 Redux: "Thousands of Aliens" in U.S. Flight Schools Illegally

ABC News ^ | Feb. 27, '08

[T.L.Sink]

Thousands of foreign student pilots have been able to enroll and obtain pilot licenses from U.S. flight schools, despite tough laws passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, according to internal government documents obtained by ABC news. "Some of the very same conditions that allowed the 9/11 tragedy to happen in the first place are still very much in existence today," wrote one regional security official to his boss at the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration. "Thousands of aliens, some of whom may very well pose a threat to the country, are taking flight lessons, being granted FAA certifications and are flying planes," wrote the TSA official, Richard Horn, complaining that the students did not have the proper visas. Under the new laws, American flight schools are only supposed to provide pilot training to foreign students who have been a background check by the TSA and have a specific type of visa. But in thousands of cases this has not happened. "TSA's enforcement is basically nonexistent," said former FAA inspector Bill McNease. McNease says in one year alone he found some 8000 foreign students in the FAA database who got their pilot licenses without ever being approved by the TSA. The new laws were passed after it was learned that all the 9/11 hijackers, including ringleader Mohammed Atta, who were involved in flight operations had trained at U.S. schools with improper visas.

[T.L.Sink]

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it." Santayana

[Joe Boucher]

Thing is you don’t need to go to a flight school to learn to fly, just go to any airport and look around for a certified flight instructor, pay them and start taking lessons.
That is what I did 20 years ago when I got my ticket and you still can today.

[Truth29]

This is ABC news, but with our “inability” to build a border fence, this looks like another example where our government responds to business pressures more than the security needs of the USA.

[Ol' Sox]

Honey pot...

[nyyankeefan]

the jorge bush flight school...

[org.whodat]

Since the raid on Swift transportation in Memphis, Monday, they must be getting CDL’s as well.

[bcsco]

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If you wish to be added or removed from this ping list, please contact me.

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[Diogenesis]

McNease says in one year alone he found some 8000 foreign students in the FAA database
who got their pilot licenses without ever being approved by the TSA.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to (have their citizens suffer and) repeat it."
George Santayana

---

[ex-Texan]

Old news. The WH has known about this for a very long time.

Do you still believe we are safer today than yesterday? I know there are very long lines in airports and more luggage searches. Passports are harder to get and being rigged with tracking chips. Does that make us safer?

What's up with more internal security _______________ ? Pretty soon our cities will be like London. Television cameras everywhere.

There are very good reasons for taking the train. Have more fun. Meet more people. Learn something. Take your time.

Not to worry. Everything is under control.

[levotb]

That’s right, nyyankeefan...

The flight school owner bastards screamed bloody murder, and Bush blinked, secretly allowing A-rab nationals in the U.S. to once again learn to fly. I’m sure the Saudi gov. put pressure on Bush to do this, as well. Why else would Bush allow such a thing to happen?

Treason abounds...

[toddlintown]

Santayana-—Loved when he did “Black Magic Woman.”

[SFC MAC]

I would say that the TSA should randomly check these flight schools, and arrest and fine the owners who violate the regulations, but we all know they’re as serious about that as the DHS is securing the borders against illegal aliens and terrorists.

[zeugma]

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it." Santayana

Yup.

The only conclusion one can reasonably reach is that the government doesn't give a damn.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

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