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| Officials: Suicide airliner hijackings possible |
| 2003-07-29 |
| Better clean your gun, cap’n, and keep it handy. The Department of Homeland Security is warning that Islamic extremists might be plotting suicide airliner hijackings to be carried out before the end of the summer, with possible targets including sites in Britain, Italy, Australia or the eastern United States. "As of mid-June, Islamic extremists may have been planning suicide hijackings to be executed by the end of Summer 2003," according to the document obtained Tuesday by CNN. "The plan may involve the use of five-man teams, each of which would attempt to seize control of a commercial aircraft either shortly after takeoff or shortly before landing at a chosen airport." Homeland Security sources said the credibility of the information is still being evaluated. One government official termed it "dubious." Intelligence leading to the advisory was developed during the past several weeks ... The Department of Homeland Security warning also says the hijackers might try to use everyday travel items, such as cameras, that have been modified into weapons. "The hijackers may try to calm passengers and make them believe they are on a hostage, not suicide, mission," it reads. Yeah. Fool me once... By doing this, one official said, the hijackers might be hoping to reduce the likelihood that passengers would take pre-emptive action, as those aboard United Airlines Flight 93 did September 11, 2001, after which the plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania. "Let’s roll..." Although the warning lays out specifics of the possible plot, it also says, "No equipment or operatives are known to have been deployed to conduct the operations." Homeland Security officials said there is no immediate plan to raise the nation’s threat level, but that the aviation sector has been encouraged to review security practices and implement new random measures. |
| Posted by:Rafael |
| #4 If the passengers do not immediatly jump on the terrorist(regardless of what the terrorist say)then they(passengers will die. |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-7-30 10:59:28 AM |
| #3 I think that if another hijacking is attempted, it will follow the tactics that apparently some of the hijackers used on 9-11: Hijacker: Open the cockpit door or I'll kill the stewardess. Pilot: No Voice of next stew: He just slit Connie's throat. Hijacker: Open the cockpit door or I'll kill the next stewardess. In other words maximum psychological intimidation will be inflicted on crew and passengers to attempt to shock them into inaction. Also, takeovers will be attempted at the end of the flight rather than the beginning in order to limit the amount of time that the passenger will have to respond. I wouldn't discount the possibility of restraints being used on the passengers either. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2003-7-29 11:06:25 PM |
| #2 Nevermind... from MSNBC: WASHINGTON, June 27 — A federal air marshal was fired and faces a felony assault charge after a June 8 incident in which police say he pulled his service weapon on two civilians during a parking space dispute at JFK International Airport in New York. The incident comes amid reports that more than 100 marshals have either left their jobs or been pulled from flight status and placed on paid administrative leave due to problems with the background investigations needed for their top secret security clearances. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-7-29 10:48:07 PM |
| #1 I'll say this again. If anybody on a plane doesn't attempt to beat these assholes to death with anything they can get their hands on, then they deserve to die. And whatever happened to that big sky marshall program the Feds supposedly cranked up after 9/11? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-7-29 10:27:34 PM |