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Horatio
23rd Sep 2001, 21:14
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.cgi?id=149495&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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Horatio
24th Sep 2001, 00:31
I posted the original article 3 hours ago; to date no response!; does that indicate no interest?

Am I abnormal? I want to know why this information that was in the public domain back then was not acted upon. 6,000 people also need to know the answer to that question. So do their relatives and friends. I understand that lots here are worried about their jobs right now, but who can say they have a secure job right now?

I respect President Bush, but I also want some answers from him on this one!

The Guvnor
24th Sep 2001, 00:52
Horatio - the same thing happened before Lockerbie, remember? And no doubt it will happen again. The problem is that for every real incident, there are hundreds of fake ones - some deliberately so.

Project Bojinka has been known about for some time, and there have been countless threats and warnings - none of which (with the exception of the 11th September) actually occurred.

Another problem is that there was nothing specific in the article that would identify the threat - which would mean that it would receive a low classification. The Lockerbie warning, delivered to a US Embassy in Scandinavia, was much more specific.

Horatio
24th Sep 2001, 00:58
Guv,

So is it a case of crying wolf? Did the governments, airports or airlines do anything to ramp up their security? No, of course they did not. There is a major difference about security depending on where you check in. The amazing thing is that the least likely countries have the most security. That leaves Europe and the States sadly lacking!

It's time they got their act together and inb doing so, they can offer the travelling public soem comfort too. We need that more than anything right now.

The Guvnor
24th Sep 2001, 01:52
Horatio - yes, it most certainly was a case of 'crying wolf'.

Don't forget, though, that overt security isn't everything. Some of the most apparently paranoid airports (BKK, BOM and AUH spring to mind) have been lambasted by the DLTR for poor security that an elephant could have walked through - specifically access to aircraft from airside. (These areas have now been tightened up, so before anyone starts getting paranoid - don't!) Both in the case of transit pax and in the case of anyone having access from airside (eg maintenance base or in the case of BOM a hole in the fence or a village that for some reason seems to be within the airport perimeter!) one can get anything on board an aircraft - or rather more worryingly - into baggage. The problem was that having checked the baggage no less than three times by the time it goes into the baggage sort area, there's no further checks prior to loading into the cans; and no security associated with the loaded cans. As a result, there was a fair amount of pilferage.

Contrast that with say LHR where there is less overt security but where every square inch of the facility is being closely monitored. There's a very good chance that the bag that bew up PA103 was introduced into a can at LHR rather than interlining from MLA was claimed - but LHR does not intend that to happen ever again.

Security is a state of mind. You have a contrast between that of a country at war - Israel - which is good but again from time to time has problems because the people involved think they are better than they really are; and the minimal, 'passenger friendly' security that was seen on domestic flights in the States. The ideal level is something closer to the Israeli version than to the US one!

Crews should also take an active role in security. How many of us have seen people wandering around in restricted areas of terminals and done nothing about it except wondered why they are there? Next time, challenge them. Demand to see ID. Ask what they are doing. If you're suspicious about the answers, report it. If the person is genuine, s/he will understand the need for security and won't mind. If, on the other hand they are up to something - it could be your aircraft that's the target.

On board the aircraft, do spot checks for cabin security. Sure, the cabin crew are supposed to do that when they board - but again, routine makes people blase. Remember the case of the box of chocolates that was hidden on a BA aircraft and spent the next month or so jetting around the world without being found?

Stay safe, people!

Horatio
24th Sep 2001, 02:06
Guv

We are effectively at war, like it or not. I don't like it one little bit, because I think it will bring the whole world down to it's knees.

Let's hope common sense,love and humanity prevails!

411A
24th Sep 2001, 02:08
If you want answers from President Bush, suggest you write him at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington,DC 20002.
Somehow, I don't think he would be interested in your opinion. Has enough on his plate already. :rolleyes:

The Guvnor
24th Sep 2001, 03:25
Horatio - I agree with everything you said in your last post. Ferverently.

My greatest fear is that the Americans will go rushing in like a bull in a china shop looking for revenge. There has been a great deal of disquiet expressed by a number of agencies - including Europol and SIS - that Osama bin Laden is not the correct target and whilst he certainly has been involved in terrorist activities in the past, incorrectly targetting him for the recent events will backfire, badly - as happened before when the Americans wrongly blamed Libya for a bombing in Frankfurt, which resulted in an attack on Tripoli.

I saw a report recently that said that we're closer now to all out global warfare than at any time since August 1945. Chilling stuff.

Mooney
24th Sep 2001, 14:17
Well! I am quite shocked!! Especially as the Americans said they had NO pre-warning of these type of events.