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For what it's worth -

Three weeks ago, the overseas papers quoted Bin Laden as saying that a major strike against the USA was soon to come. That's a lot of warning.

Bear in mind that the FAA gave Bin Laden an engraved invitation with their selective ignorance of airport security, defying Congress with the GAO citing the FAA blatant failures. DOCUMENTED!

Ramsi Yousef claimed his group was responsible for TWA-800. Yet FBI's Kallstrom said there was no evidence. So, why did the FBI go fishing for Stinger remnants after the recovery effort?

Still, no appreciable increase to aircraft security.

Note the New York Times catch of the FBI involvement in the first WTC bombing.

The FAA allowed a smugglers paradise to be built in the new Guam airport terminal under Clinton. Look up "Project Bojinka" on the internet.

McVeigh's attorney, Stephen Jones, identified a middle-east connection in the Oklahoma City bombing which couldn't be denied. Yet he was massively blocked from investigating it or presenting it.

The WTC / Pentagon flying was that of a pilot who is current at the controls of a simulator, with practice at hitting the specific targets.

Among others, former FAA security agent, Steve Elson, has had a crusade against all of DC on the lack of airport security. There was warning galore - as usual.

Boston has a terrible record for airport security.

It's early, but it appears that the hijackers slipped knives past security - no big trick by the FAA 'special' standards. I'm guessing the hijacking was a team of 2 - 3 per aircraft.

The news footage of the WTC / Pentagon strikes strongly suggest:

1. The hijackers were skilled pilots, with an experience bias toward the 757/767.

2. The flying exhibits exact planning, practice and recent proficiency. At the airspeed of the strike, the eye-hand coordination demands would be too high for casual flying skill - with, or without, an autopilot engaged.

My guess is that proficiency was acquired in a stateside flight simulator facility, offering airliner models with high-level graphics capability, with the WTC & the Pentagon in the visual data-base. It's unlikely that a program such as "Microsoft Flight Simulator" could account for the flying skills required.

Relative to the FAA disregard for safety, evidenced by the GAO report on lax airport security, as well as other legitimate complaints - somebody needs to get the FAA honest. We're very likely to see this again.

The FAA has permitted a flimsy cockpit door which wouldn't keep anybody out. They've had cockpit break-ins before by sky-ragers; this isn't anything new.

Notice that in the history of bombings against the USA, there have been warnings galore in the newspapers, etc, but the security agencies always get surprised. Notice that there have been no changes.

My guess is that proficiency was acquired in a stateside flight simulator facility, offering airliner models with high-level graphics capability, with the WTC & the Pentagon in the visual data-base

Why a stateside simulator as opposed to one that was overseas?

BTW, I'd be interested in your opinion about the level of sophistication required for the attack. Some here claim it could be carried off with a group of "sixteen smart guys." From what I have heard, the level of precision involved and the targets chosen strongly indicate that this may be more the simple terrorism.

Ramsi Yousef claimed his group was responsible for TWA-800. Yet FBI's Kallstrom
said there was no evidence. So, why did the FBI go fishing for Stinger remnants
after the recovery effort?

Any posters/lurkers have information about Yousef's group claiming to down TWA 800?
I thought (at the time of TWA 800 loss) that one of the intriguing things was that
no person (or entity) stepped forward to claim credit.

But maybe this claim by Yousef's group floated by me in the media stream when I blinked!