This story–Terror In The Skies, Again?–has been making the rounds on the blogosphere, but in case you haven’t read it yet, go ahead and read it now. It will chill you to the bone.
It is by a woman who took a plane flight with her husband and child and who may have witnessed a dry run for a future terrorist attack.
We know that the terrorists make such practice runs. Actor James Woods witnessed a dry run preparing for 9/11.
The article describes not only what happened on the flight but also the woman’s efforts afterwards to determine what it was she witnessed and also her efforts to determine what the authorities are doing to prevent attacks based on the apparent method she saw in use on the flight.
It is not certain that the author did witness a dry run, but then again, she may have.
As you can see from the end of the story, the author does not feel that the authorities have done enough to stop this kind of attack, but if there is a ray of hope here it is this: The terrorists may have been scared off by what happened after the flight. They may have concluded that they were too exposed and decided they need to go to ground and call off their plans.
Maybe.
Let’s hope so.
Frightening stuff.
If islamic terrorists are looking to hijack another airliner, they will likely have to do so with many more people than they did on Sept. 11. Four or five guys isn’t going to cut it because post 9/11 passengers will riot and beat them to a pulp. So it’ll take 20+ big guys to hijack a plane in the post 9/11 world. That’s why this story is so frightening because there were 14 guys and so it seems that the terrorists have figured out that they’ll need more bodies to complete their mission.
Considering how much harder it is to hijack a plane in a post-9/11 world I’m thinking the next big terrorist strike will be with WMD in a big city. Plus, the terrorists will be looking for glory and looking for someway to top 9/11…the only way to do that is with WMD.
excerpt from the story:
“The Observer (a British newspaper based in London) on February 8, 2004:
“Islamic MILITANTS have conducted dry runs of a devastating new style of bombing on aircraft flying to Europe, intelligence sources believe.”
…when did airplane hijackers stop being terrorists and start being militants? How can you not label people who want to hijack airplanes to fly them into buildings as terrorists?
I hope the hottest corners of hell are reserved for “journalists” and media people.
Really? Hotter than the corners reserved for terrorists?
It seems to me that most problematic journalists are too naive to be genuinely vicious. Most of them are off an an idealistic crusade, but it isn’t one that involves killing people.
Of course I was just exaggerating and using a figure of speech to articulate my great displeasure for many of those in the reporting arts.
Don’t let stories like this worry you. Mr. Bush said in a speech last week (actually about 7 times during the speech) that we’re all safer. In fact, the whole world is safer. We have nothing to worry about. Until Karl Rove decides it would be in his interest to have us worried. Then Mr. Ridge will bump us up to orange, or whatever the next color code is.