Al Qaeda Planning More Hijackings, Officials Warn [in latter part of summer]

Washington Post ^ | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 | Susan Schmidt

[gonzo]

Maybe they'll arm the Pilots now. Seems easy enough!

Naw, we don't wanna do that - too simple!...........FRegards

[Riverman94610]

Sounds like it might be a decoy to shift our attention to the sky when the real attack might come from someplace totally unexpected.

[The KG9 Kid]

Surely. They know that there would never be another simple plane hijacking after 9-11.

[Cyclops08]

There has been a serious drain on the big brains in Al Queda. The big brains just keep dying for some reason.

I kinda wonder if this just might be what they are planning, maybe hijacking foreign planes from an international US airport, or planes just across the canadian border.

[need_a_screen_name]

This is total BS. Either a diversion or a way of further crippling the airlines, which is a terrorist act in itself.

[The KG9 Kid]

While we're focusing on the passenger terminals all over America, they'll just climb into a loosely-guarded Airborne Express jet after shooting the old fart security guard and any other unarmed person in their way. Simple a matter as six of them posing as 'Latino' cargo loaders showing up for work in the morning and driving right through the gate. They'll just get in a plane that looks most ready to go and fly off after encountering almost no resistance. Simple observation of Airborne Express' cargo flight schedule would let them know which plane to steal.

They could fly out of San Francisco International and travel six miles towards downtown in 1.5 minutes and crash into the TransAmerica building at 9:15am while the streets are packed with people below. A fighter jet would have to be on their tail at the moment their wheels left the ground to have any chance of stopping them. I don't think the local Navy air station is flying patrol these days anyway.

At the moment of impact, some 24 year-old pear-shaped kid with a crater face, a flat-top haircut, and an attitude to match working as gate security for the OHS will be suspiciously examining your grandmother's orthopedic shoes at the passenger terminal.

If a jet is ever stolen again to use as a flying bomb, it will happen like that.

I've seen the cargo areas at our international airports. There appears to be no security at all, and I know what real security looks like.

[rintense]

Yep. I can not believe that these fools would try the same thing again, knowing that they will fail. They might be able to hijack the plane, but the passengers will stop it from going any further.

[rintense]

Don't give them ideas!!!! ;)

I've always said, what's stopping them from packing a NY taxi cab full of explosives and using it as a car bomb? I mean, there are thousands of Middle Eastern cab drivers in NY. They have the perfect cover. Imagine three or four cabs packed with explosives sitting in front of some of NY's tallest buildings... *shudders* This could happen in SF and LA too.

[Physicist]

Bring it on. There are probably 10 million Todd Beamers out there, now.

The purpose of the original 9/11 attack was to get the U.S. out of the Middle East. How well did that work? Could anyone be dumb enough to try that again?

[Starrgaizr]

Who's watching the foreign 747 pilots?

[elfman2]

"This is total BS. Either a diversion or a way of further crippling the airlines, which is a terrorist act in itself."

More likely the former. I started "planning" an evening with twin lingerie models at age 13. I think we have equal chances implementing our plans.

[Thane_Banquo]

Good luck. The American people aren't going to put up with that crap again. You try and hijack an American airliner and you'll find yourself on the receiving end of a severe beatdown.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Could anyone be dumb enough to try that again?

People who are dumb enough to think they can murder 3000 Americans, and we'll all roll over like Clinton.

[Libloather]

From Yahoo -

Post: Officials Say Al Qaeda Plans More Hijackings
1 hour, 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials said on Monday they have new threat information regarding possible airline suicide hijackings planned for the rest of this summer, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

The information was developed from recent interviews with al Qaeda operatives held by the United States, and corroborated separately through electronic intercepts or other means, officials told the newspaper.

The United States blames Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network for the suicide hijack attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and interviews with al Qaeda captives described possible scenarios similar to that of Sept. 11, the Post reported.

Department of Homeland Security officials said they had alerted airline and security personnel over the weekend but had no plans to raise the terror alert level.

The current alert level now stands at "yellow" or an "elevated" risk of attack, where it has generally remained since the system was implemented.

[Libertarian4Bush]

BRING IT ON, TOWELIE-BAN!

[twigs]

Could anyone be dumb enough to try that again?

I have yet to see any propensity for rationality on their part.

[1Old Pro]

Surely. They know that there would never be another simple plane hijacking after 9-11.

Certainly not with box cutters held by scrawny little religious fanatics.

[OldFriend]

Coming up to every single holiday the 'chatter' increases. The hope is to damage our economy further and they succeed to a degree.