Terror plot to attack US with BA jets

The Sunday Times (UK) ^ | 1/04/03 | Davis Leppard

[Capt. Tom]

We still don't know what happened with that 727 that disappeared in Africa last year

The 727s have been workhorses for illegal activities. .

Instead of stopping at Mexico they could keep going with 6 tons of munitions. I am sure our Govt. is aware of this. -Tom

Old Jets Used to Smuggle Cocaine to United States DRUG TRAFFICKING February 1995

According to government sources in the United States and Mexico, Colombian drug smugglers have been using old 727's to fly cocaine into Mexico to be smuggled later into the US (Tim Golden, "Tons of Cocaine Reaching Mexico in Old Jets," New York Times, Jan. 10, 1995, p. A1).

The sources report that smugglers buy the jets, remove the seats, and attempt to fly six tons of cocaine or more to Mexico on each flight. Each load of cocaine can be worth as much as $120 million on the street in the U.S.

The jets travel virtually undetected because they usually travel at night with their lights and radar transponder equipment turned off. The traffickers alter the plane's identification numbers and do not file flight plans.

Most notably, the planes fly at higher speeds than other aircraft, outrunning drug enforcement jets. Even when Mexican drug enforcement officials do catch the planes, traffickers often abandon them on airstrips because they are relatively cheap to replace.

[Brad’s Gramma]

BTTT for later

[Libertina]

I wonder who this British minister is and if he seriously questions the United States' right to control its own airspace?
The left, as usual, has a lot o blame in this. Their constant beloittling and attacks of President Bush has led officials in other countries to jump onto what they think is the "popular" bandwagon. I am pretty certain we're going to set this particular British minister straight on whose air space it is.

[Frank_2001]

Whew! I'm surprised there hasn't been a midair collision with those idiots flying with no radar transponders or lights!

[ellery]

Here's what I can't understand about this whole spate of cancellations: we know that AQ's MO is multiple strikes. This article seems to confirm that plan. In addition, the AQ threats this time have specifically mentioned strikes that will exceed 9/11.

SO, how is it that cancellation of one flight at a time interrupts their plans? If they were doing multiple, simultaneous strikes, the rest of the plan would just go ahead, right?

[Prodigal Son]

Until the Brits can figure out how people are getting onto the tarmac and lodging themselves unnoticed into landing gear hubs, I don't think we can too highly praise British airport security.

LOL, didn't a fellow make it on an American plane just the other day with a boxcutter?

How did that happen?

[Endeavor]

We're talking about known flights of "interest" on British Airways. Some wonderful example of the next James Bond must have let the gufus with the box-cutters through security. I wasn't slamming the Brits, just frustrated with their pilots lack of willingness to have armed security on their flights because "someone might get shot." Duh, someone will get shot if you don't have armed guards on there, for sure. Puhleese.

[Bon mots]

We should also be thinking of another possibility for the nasty people...

There have recently been stories of old jets going missing, especially in Africa.

It wouldn't be too far-fetched for some of these creeps to attach air-to-air missiles to one of these old planes and use them to shoot down an international flight somewhere over the sea. They could then set the transponder of the shooter-plane to show up on radar as the plane it just shot down, and act accordingly. They could then enter the airspace of the destination country unmolested, having switched places with a legitimate plane.

One of the planes which has gone missing was a tanker, I believe... could carry all kinds of nasty things, if not just plain old jet fuel...

[Bon mots]

I flew to London and then New York with a Swiss Army knife in my travel pouch... forgot all about it.

Went through the x-ray machine...TWICE

When I got the phone call that my father passed away, I went right to the airport and didn't even think about the knife I always have attached to my keychain. I found it just before the x-ray machine, so stuck it in my travel pouch with my loose change, pens, wristwatch and other travel stuff. Got through just fine. Did the same thing in London.

For the way home, I had a clearer head and remembered to pack it in my stowed luggage. I already lost too many Victorinox knives, and don't want to lose my last one!

[Prodigal Son]

Good thing you didn't get caught or we'd have a thread about you here at FR ;-)

[americanbychoice]

3 weeks ago , my spouse forgot her orkscrew and knitting needles were in her purse. They took them away. It was an International flight to Europe.

[Cboldt]

Yeah, corkscrews are on the forbidden list, but knitting needls are okay (by TSA rules, international carriers may impose different rules). The TSA list was last updated in November, 2003.

TSA Fact Sheet - Permitted and Prohibited Items <-- Link to 320 kB PDF file

[americanbychoice]

You are forgetting something, or you are presuming a few things.
First of all you state it as a fact that the screeners can locate that document.
Second, You are assuming that they can read it.
Thirdly, You believe that they can undertand what they are reading.
Very presumptious of you, if I might say?
:-)

[Cboldt]

Heheheh. Quite presumptuous of me, for certain. Anyway, it is a fact is that the TSA has published rules for traveller's baggage. I'll be first in line to concede that doesn't mean the rules make sense, or that the TSA follows them.