Pilots train for worst-case scenario in event of terror hijacking
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 " The U.S. military practices at least twice each week for the nightmare scenario of having to shoot down a civilian airliner hijacked by terrorists, the commander of forces in North America said Thursday.
"I"m more worried that they would be trigger hesitant than trigger happy."
" AIR FORCE GEN. RALPH E. EBERHART
GEN. RALPH E. Eberhart, head of U.S. Northern Command, said a strong set of safeguards are in place to prevent an accidental or unwarranted shootdown of a commercial airplane. Commanders, pilots and air defense crews are drilled on those procedures as many as four times each week, Eberhart said.
The rules allow for an order to shoot down a civilian plane only if there is no other option to prevent a Sept. 11-style attack on the ground, the general said. There are authentication procedures for such orders to make sure "someone can"t just get on the radio and say, "This is the president, I order you to shoot down that plane,"" Eberhart said.
Military jets were in the air during the 2001 attacks but were too far away to shoot down the planes before they struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
SAFEGUARDS SAID IN PLACE
Airline passengers can be confident that their planes will not be accidentally shot down, Eberhart said. "I would take issue with anyone who would say the men and women in our armed forces are trigger happy," Eberhart said at a breakfast meeting with reporters. "I"m more worried that they would be trigger hesitant than trigger happy. We have long discussions with people to see if they"re ready to do this."
Eberhart said he has never heard of a case where a pilot or missile battery operator was hesitant to shoot down a hijacked airliner. Those involved have repeated psychological screening and testing on the procedures to make sure they will follow those rules, Eberhart said.
The Pentagon created Northern Command in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks to coordinate military defense of the United States and response to attacks or natural disasters.
Eberhart, a four-star general from the Air Force, said the al-Qaida terrorist network responsible for the attacks two years ago has been seriously damaged.
"Most of the varsity players are gone. In most cases we"re dealing with the junior varsity team or the freshman team," Eberhart said.
"WE"VE BOUGHT OURSELVES SOME TIME"
"But we can"t rest on our laurels," he said. "We"ve got to keep the throttle up ... If anything, I think we"ve bought ourselves some time."
The arrests of three workers at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp for terrorist suspects have illustrated a concern about terrorists trying to penetrate the U.S. military, Eberhart said. The general said he had no indications of any coordinated terrorist effort to recruit American troops but said he had no doubt such efforts were happening.
"There"s no doubt that there are people out there trying to turn our people," Eberhart said. "I"m sure there are people right now being worked on as we speak, and it"s not working, and they"re reporting it."
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I can understand training so that a pilot can mentally do the job of shooting down an airliner, I mean, that would be hard to do. But how much practice does it actaully take to shoot down an airliner. Something about fish in a barrel comes to mind
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Sadly this is not a new topic. Military pilots have recieved such " scenarios" for years. Only since 9/11 have they come more into the publics eye. The plane that went down in PA was only a few minutes from getting " the ok" itself. Also, remember the private jet that pro-golfer Payne Stewart died in a couple of years ago? Remember how it was " tracked" from Fla until it crashed in the Dakotas. It flew over several major metropolitan areas (even came near my lil town of 100K in west TN) and was watched as well as escorted by fighter jets whose pilots had been given the ok to keep a finger " on the trigger" . Had it started down towards a populated area it would' ve been blasted from the sky.
Its a terrible thought sure and one that we all hope is NEVER exercised, but after 9/11 I think we all can understand what happens if a few people arent sacrificed for the masses! Thats what makes the guys that put that plane down in PA that much more " Heros" .
RA
Jorgy, shooting the airliner down would be relatively simple. What they practice are the procedures to make sure it never happens accidentally. There will be alot of players involved when that day comes and the coordination and validation must be fool proof. You can' t leave that to chance.
God help the poor soul that is tasked to shoot a civilian airliner down.
Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity
Posts: 24,186
RE: Military practices downing airliners
Its sad to say, but im almost to the point to where I could justify shooting
down all Muslims. I am one of the most tolerant persons in the world, but
when it comes to this growing number of extreme Muslim groups
indiscriminately killing men, women, children, and babies Ive lost all sympathy. It seems like everyday I read/here of an extreme Muslim group wasting
human life. Im getting to where I can justify this anger; they want to die, kill
them so they cant kill innocent people.
Pardon my discontent, Ive just had a gut full.
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kaafir mushrik
Unintended consequences and God have one thing in common: Liberals dont believe in either of them.
Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity
Posts: 24,186
RE: Military practices downing airliners
I would also like to add, I think Israel has a good plan. Hunt them down, if you
can get them, destroy the homes of the terrorists family. Maybe If the
world would create no tolerance policy on this crap, they will think twice
about it.
Make them chose; 70 something virgins while leaving my family in rubble or
die a natural cause and let their families live in piece.[X(]
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kaafir mushrik
Unintended consequences and God have one thing in common: Liberals dont believe in either of them.
I would also like to add, I think Israel has a good plan. Hunt them down, if you
can get them, destroy the homes of the terrorists family. Maybe If the
world would create no tolerance policy on this crap, they will think twice
about it.
Ok this is way off topic but here it goes. While I will tell you that what Israel is doing is probably what I would do myslef if I was in charge there, it sure as hell isn' t working at all.
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Military practices downing airliners
