I am a subscriber to Airjet Airline World News, a free daily email bulletin sheet on world aviation news. Because I am often away on extended trips I do not get the chance to read all of the bulletins that have been sent in my absence, hence I missed this very pertinent one on 23 June this year (not that I could have influenced anyone in the right places to do something about it!). OK, maybe it's like trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted', but read the following and see what you think! It raises some very serious issues that, if true, require some serious explanations from those agencies around the world that are supposed to be protecting our collective security. It also requires answers from airlines, airport security services as well as from the governments that were privy to this information. I find it quite extraordinary, words fail me!
From Airline World News;
AIRJET AIRLINE WORLD NEWS -- AJN 23SEP2001 00:15 UTC
Editor's Note: This was a "SPECIAL ALERT" we sent to all
our readers on June 23, 2001 in its entirety.
Please take time to read the whole story.
NATCA in HNL has posted the story for
discussion at the following urls:
http://www.hcfhawaii.com/news/terror_risk.htm
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cg...5&article=9885
Other articles of Interest:
Ramzi Yusef plans for airliner suicide crashes
Israeli Security Issued Urgent Warning to CIA
State Department memo warned of terrorist threat
Flight Security Still All but Overlooks Workers
Airlines fought security changes
http://www.airlinebiz.com/wire (For Full Stories!)
AIRJET AIRLINE WORLD NEWS -- AJN 23JUN2001 23:00 UTC
*** U.S. Airlines may be a terror risk over next 3 days
WASHINGTON - 23JUN2001 (AirlineBiz.Com) With U.S. Gulf forces already
on high alert, the U.S. State Department is expected to issue a travel
advisory shortly warning Americans traveling overseas to be on their
guard. Videotapes allegedly show Osama bin Laden threatening to attack
U.S. interests in the region. Indictments against 13 Saudi nationals
and one Lebanese, charging them with killing 19 US servicemen at a
military base in Saudi Arabia in 1996 appears to be the catalyst. With
the announcement of the indictments, U.S. Attorney General Ashcroft
noted how terrorists are targeting the United States. "Americans are a
high-priority target for terrorists," he said. In recent years, U.S.
citizens have found themselves the target of several attacks by the
terror network of Osama bin Laden. One such attack involved a plot
to destroy 12 U.S. airliners in Asia. A jury found Ramzi Ahmed Yousef
the alleged mastermind of the scheme, and two other defendants, guilty
on all counts. Yousef is also the alleged mastermind of the 1993
bombing of the World Trade Center and is also linked to schemes to
assassinate President Clinton and the Pope. Just prior to the attack
of the Saudi military base, officials uncovered the plot to blow up 12
U.S. airliners on January 6, 1995 when a fire broke out in a Manila
apartment. During the trial a Secret Service agent testified that
Yousef boasted during his extradition flight to New York that he would
have blown up several jumbo jets within a few weeks if his plan had not
been discovered. The government said the defendants even devised a name
for their airline terror plot named, "Project Bojinka." Tapes played in
court showed the defendants talking about how much they enjoyed killing
Americans. In a test run, a bomb was placed on a Philippine Air Lines
747 flight to Tokyo. It exploded, killing a Japanese passenger. The
Arabic satellite television channel MBC has reported, "the next two
weeks will witness a big surprise." A reporter of MBC said, "A severe
blow is expected against U.S. and Israeli interests worldwide." MBC
said the reporter met with Osama bin Laden two days ago in Afghanistan.
"There is a major state of mobilization among the Osama bin Laden forces.
It seems that there is a race of who will strike first. Will it be the
United States or Osama bin Laden?" the correspondent said. June 25 is
the fifth anniversary of the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers bombing
which killed 19 U.S. servicemen. Bob Monetti, President of the Victims
of Pan Am Flight 103 said, "I hope the airlines are watching this
situation closely." Mr. Monetti, who lost his son Rick on Pan Am 103
is also a special advisor to the FAA on security related matters.
Monetti is hopeful about the progress that has been made since the
bombing of Pan Am 103. However, Monetti expressed serious concern
about the abilities of the airlines to stop a terrorist
organization from carrying out their plans as promised. Monetti noted
that Osama bin Laden has had several terrorist targets over the years
and not all of them have been military. "The airlines are at risk --
They need to take all appropriate measures and counter-measures to
ensure the safety of their passengers," Monetti said.
Please send comments to the following email address:
mailto:
[email protected]?subject=Security
or
[email protected]
*** Never Mind by Chris Elliott
Never mind that the airline CEOs probably should be indicted for
criminal negligence after last week's terrorist attacks instead of
being rewarded with government subsidies. Congress has answered the
clarion call of the airline lobby and is rallying to help an industry
once awash in profits. There's little talk of reform in the $15-
billion airline rescue package. Legislators are thoughtlessly
spending our tax money, and we're likely to be repaid by an airline
industry that will cut service, eliminate amenities and redouble
efforts to lie to its customers. Talk about biting the hand that
feeds it. - CE
http://www.elliott.org
AirlineBiz.Com has set up a SPECIAL fast loading web page for this
coverage. Many reports are still unconfirmed.
http://www.airlinebiz.com/wire (For Updates!)
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