Posted on 09/11/2001 2:25:31 PM PDT by Tarakotchi
A CIA sourece tells NewsMax that there are only a handful of countries that could have been involved.
Experts already believe that terrorists commandeered the jet aircraft that slammed into the Twin Towers and other targets.
Believing no U.S. pilot would do this, the belief is that the pilots were killed and qualified terrorist/pilots were used.
So far, planes used in the attacks were Boeing 767 and 757 models.
According to our source, the list of possible training sites, with simulators, are very few in the Islamic world.
The following countries or airlines have simulators capable of training pilots for such planes: Ethiopian Air, Ethiopian Air, Egypt Air, Gulf Air, Turkmenistan Air, Azerbaijan Air, Kenya Air, and the Saudi Airlines. There may be others, but this information may help narrow the list of suspects.
I wouldn't doubt that MS Flight Sim provides enough "resolution" to effectively train a squadron of Mr. Towelys for this mission.
I believe the cockpits are nearly identical in these planes, which means they would have only needed to train the terrorists on one type.
Not only the resolution, but the frequencies and locations of navigation aids are accurate.
YOU ABSOLUTELY DO NOT need a real airline simulator to train someone to fly 4-5 minutes and hit a large building in perfect weather conditions.
After being commandeered, the planes that originated in Boston would've had to fly 100-150 miles under terrorist control, after leaving their flight plan. It also would've been necessary to bring them down from approximately 20-25,000 ft., under control, before turning and directing them into the World Trade Center towers.
Sounds to me like a job for a qualified pilot with some degree of training on the equipment or in a simulator...
S T R A T F O R
THE GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANY
http://www.stratfor.com
11 September 2001
Who is the DFLP?
1515 GMT, 010911
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks on the World Trade Center. This report, fromm a television station in Abu Dhabi, in unconfirmed.
The DFLP was formed in 1969 with an estimated membership of 500. It was originally based in Syria, but the location of its current headquarters are unknown. The DFLP receives financial and military aid from Syria and Libya. It operates in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied territories. Its leader is Naif Hawatmeh, according to Israeli-based Interdisciplinary Center.
The group was largely dormant from 1988 until this summer, when it claimed responsibility for an Aug. 25 attack against an Israeli military post in the Gaza Strip that left three Israeli soldiers dead. This attack was the first instance of Palestinians successfully using conventional military-style tactics.
Before this year, DFLP operations have always taken place either inside Israel or the West Bank and Gaza. Typical acts include minor bombings and grenade attacks, as well as operations to seize hostages and attempts to negotiate the return of Israeli- held Palestinian prisoners.
The group split from the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) years ago, but reconciled with the PFLP - and with Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat - in August 1999.
The attacks differ significantly from the DFLP's previous methods of operation. Likewise, the resources and infrastructure necessary for such attacks are far beyond the group's traditional means. Either the DFLP's claims are spurious, or it has joined forces with other groups.
I've no doubt that if the US desired to sneak attack any target in the world that it could do so. If you allow us to use anything as a weapon and pick the target and time of our choosing, then more than buildings will come down.
The point: against a determined enemy, foiling a clandestine attack is purely a matter of luck.
Just as an indication that the usual purveying of worthless crap by Newsmax has gone into overdrive now, I'd point out that:
1) Ethiopia is about 40% Christian, 40% Muslim, and 10% Animist, and
2) My Almanac shows the religion of Kenya as "38% Protestant, 28% Roman Catholic, and 26% Indigenous Beliefs" with no mention of any Muslims at all.
But hey, they're furriners, their skin is darker than ours, they talk funny, so they must be guilty and we should nuke them just to be careful, right?
The article itself has sort of a specious or circular logic. The fact that the Arab states could have produced qualified pilots proves that it was the Arab states.
If indeed the kamikaze pilots were well trained this implies a much higher level of organization that might be easier to trace and possible collusion of airline resources.
Piloting a big multi-engine plane "free hand" is not something that a typical civilian private pilot can do. There were only two airlines chosen and two types of Boeing jets. Each airline, chooses the cockpit instrumentation package it wants for its airplanes and they differ from airline to airline and from plane to plane. Even engine throttle controls on 747's use to differ from company to company. So the limited number of airlines and plane types tells me something.
Second, do your really need a skilled pilot? All of the planes have autopilots that could have a predetermined location and altitude programmed into them and then the autopilot reconnected.
Having said that I would say that the circling of the World Trade Towers was probably the work of a skilled human pilot and probably not the original pilot who worked for the airline. An examination of the video should tell quite abit about his/her flying skills. I have not seen the video. In looking at which simulators were used someone may want to contact Boeing and find out which of the various simulators most closely resemble the actual cockpit controls of the two airlines and two types of aircraft used in this terrorist act.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.