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Posted on 04/29/2009 3:47:29 AM PDT by Upstate NY Guy
The FAA knew letting a presidential jumbo jet and an F-16 fighter fly ominously near Ground Zero Monday might cause panic in the streets --but the White House still insisted the photo-op be kept classified, sources said yesterday.
A cryptic, classified alert -- obtained by The Post yesterday -- written by James Johnston, a high-ranking Federal Aviation Administration official in Washington, predicted the fear and confusion.
"Due to the possibility of public concern regarding DOD [Department of Defense] aircraft flying at low levels, coordination with federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies, emergency-operations centers and aviation units has been accomplished," the e-mail said.
But the message never made it past mid-level operatives at City Hall and the NYPD.
White House military officials mandated that the mission -- a $328,835 operation to take glamour shots of the presidential jet amid the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty -- not be shared with the media or the pubic.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
But "keeping it secret was BS," an FAA source said.
Had normal protocols been followed, Mayor Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and, by extension, the general public, would have been in the loop, sources said.
By classifying the message and insisting communication be handled out of Washington, all normal protocols got mixed up.
"We were dealing with a whole different bunch of bureaucrats," a City Hall source said.
Show us the pictures from this “photo op”.
Were the NY, NJ airports informed? Were flights delayed or diverted???? If not, why not...just wondering.
The "Messiah" went on a grand America Sucks tour, including bowing to the Saudi king, and his terrorizing of the New Yawkers is the perfect coda to an America sucks tour. If America sucks so bad, why not give the Amis a little scare for their arrogance?
What B. Hussein Obama did makes perfect sense to me and is perfect symbolism for his partying around with Chavez, Ortega; et. al.
Training mission my a$$!!
The Teleprompter President apparently felt it beneath himself to do a Photoshop.
Wonder who got a ride on this “photo-op.”
Just businesss as usual for acting pres Obama. I’m still trying to figure what they were trying to accomplish by scaring New yorkers but it seems obvious they did it on purpose.
I agree. I initially thought it was a photo-op because Bambi is such an ego maniac that regular stock photos of AF1 wouldn’t do and would have to be replaced by special Bambi photos, probably for use in his permanent campaign.
However, now I’m leaning towards the idea that there was somebody special on that plane, probably accompanied by Bambi himself, who wanted to do that fly-over. I wonder if there was any important foreign dignitary in the country at that time (such as the king of Saudi Arabia)?
Oh, I know what it was a training mission for. In case of a second 9/11 style attempt, Air Force One will ram the plane in question before it can strike any building. Brilliant!
Dear Mr. Obama: The secret classification is for the protection of America, not to protect your political schemes. Thanks.
He is probably hurt that 'the people; don't trust him enough to let a giant airplane fly low and slow over 911 ground zero. His feelings are hurt that we don't understand the totality of his magnificence.
I have thought all along that this has nothing to do with a photo op, or a joy ride, or anything of normal human psychology. It is instead quite literally “because I can” as a way of our new Leader demonstrating his power and contempt. (And now pretending he knew nothing of it, so that he can throw someone else under the bus, as a further sign of his ultimate power). The Leader can do no wrong.
Big campaign donors?
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It’s nonsense to have us believe that Obama knew nothing about this. Either he’s the most arrogant person to ever occupy the WH, or he’s the most ignorant person to ever occupy the WH. Is it beneath him to care about the American citizens? Oh, I forgot another thing - it may be that he’s the laziest person to ever occupy the WH.
I actually belive all three are possibilities
I think someone ought to make up a new bumper sticker - Arrogant, Ignorant, Lazy - Obama
I agree with you completely.
Never let a crisis go to waste — even if you have to manufacture the crisis.
I wonder who was invited along for the ride on this taxpayer funded, using public property, joyride that rightfully scared the crap out of the people of NYC which had the potential to cause many injuries due to panic? Hope and change freakin sucks!
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