Excercise Jump-Starts response to attacks (NORAD response to 9/11, debunks conspiracy theories)

Aviation Week and Space Technology ^ | June 3, 2002 | William B. Scott

[zapiks44]

I found this article while looking through some blogs. I thought it was very insightful. I looked for it after reading an article in this months Vanity Fair about a 9/11 widow who says the defense department could've been able to shoot them down. She came across as very naive to me. She seemed to think that in the push of a button we could destroy or neutralize the hijacked plane threat. My dad works for Lockheed, and says it's not nearly that simple.

First, the jet pilots need to know where their target is. As this article points out, the hijackers turned off the transponder, so the pilots only knew where the plane was last seen.

Secondly, it is not policy that any hijacked airplane should just be shot down right away. That would be a truly barbaric and even state-sponsered-terrorism polcy. At first, we had no idea if this plane was going to crash or where it was going to crash. The jets' intention was to bring the plane down, and, as a last resort, shoot it down.

Finally, she thinks that our intelligence department had to have heard something about this. For all its bluster, no intelligence agency is perfect (Even the KGB had several double agents, as did our CIA). As the bin Laden tape showed, the hijackers themselves didn't know what their target would be or when they would hit them until the morning of the 11th. Therefore, it could be said that it's impossible that the hijackers ever boasted what they were going to do, where, and when before 9/11.

Another thing she said that was interesting, though, is that while Bush was in the Florida classroom, after Andy Card told him of the second plane striking the towers (in that famous photo), Bush remained in classroom speaking with the children for about the next half-hour until leaving. Anyone know whether this is true or not?

[thegreatbeast]

To the best of my recollection, Bush left a few moments after being informed about what was going on in NY. He left pretty quickly. I'm sure the Secret Service was anxious to get him in the air and away from any possible danger, and the Secret Service are responsible for Bush's movements that day. (Remember how some of the duller lights in Congress just about said that he was running scared?)

[Aggie Mama]

No, I think he left right after and someone else finished the speech/presentation. It was very quick, as far as I can remember.

[sinkspur]

Thanks for posting this. It shows, in dramatic fashion, how professionally the military responded that day, even though they were reacting on the fly.

Also an airline pilot, Duffy had a bad feeling about the suspected hijacking; something didn't feel right. Consequently, he jammed the F-15's throttles into afterburner and the two-ship formation devoured the 153 mi. to New York City at supersonic speeds. "It just seemed wrong. I just wanted to get there. I was in full-blower all the way," he said.

I can only imagine the heart-throbbing intensity this guy was going through.

[Gunrunner2]

>>Bush remained in classroom speaking with the children for about the next half-hour until leaving.<<

Semi-True.

He was notified of the first, and was deeply shocked.
When he was notified of the second he was again deeply shocked. However, he calmly finished his story to the children, got up and left--the reasonable course of action as you do not want the president jumping up and running out of the room.

Bush's face tells it all--no way did we know what was to happen that awful day. No way.

[thegreatbeast]

Also, early on after the attack we were given to believe that our air response to multiple hijackings was woefully late, confused and ineffective. Is this an attempt to color the picture more favorably?

[zapiks44]

Addendum:

There's one part of this article, though, that doesn't make sense to me. It says that F-16s took off from Langley AFB at 9:30 am. I know that Langley AFB is very close, if not a "suburb" of Washington DC. Flight 77 hit the Pentagon at 9:41 am. That leaves 11 minutes when there were armed F-16s in the air over Washington. Why did they not shoot the plane down? (Or at least attempt to intercept)

[PhilDragoo]

You bring up four important points:

1) The hijackers knew turning off the transponder was key, as it is vital to air traffic control;

2) The decision to shoot down a civilian aircraft can only be made at the highest level--witness the consequences of incidents such as the July 3, 1988 accidental downing of the Iran airbus by the USS Vincinnes;

3) Indeed there were intelligence hits--but they were as needles in a haystack, individual clues in the thousands analysed daily, compounded by lack of interagency communication;

4) Bush being removed to a place of safety was procedure for the Secret Service who feared an Attack on Principal--part of any orchestrated attack--and the destination of Flight 93 may have been such.

[TonyInOhio]

BTTT

[Redleg Duke]

No, I believe this is just presenting a clear picture of what really happened after the emotion of the moment. Remember, I believe it was Peter Jennings who implied that by President Bush not immediately returning to Washington, he was proving how he just didn't measure up to the job.

There has been a pile of emotional hyperbole thrown about regarding this day of attrocity. Now the facts are coming out, and we just don't look as bad as the media and left who have us look. Combine that with the heroism of the folks on Flight 93 and you see why the towelheads have been taking a low profile. They stuck their dick in a fan and found out it was running and the blades weren't soft rubber!

[LouD]

I know that Langley AFB is very close, if not a "suburb" of Washington DC

Nope. Langley is a suburb of DC. Langley AFB is on the southern end of the state, near Norfolk.

[adaven]

Nash said the F-15s flew "low-and-slow" to intercept helicopters flying at 500 ft.

I'll bump to that! Wow... imagine the look on the faces of those helicopter pilots!

[PhilDragoo]

Remember, I believe it was Peter Jennings who implied that by President Bush not immediately returning to Washington, he was proving how he just didn't measure up to the job.

Jennings sneered at Bush repeatedly, insinuating cowardice.

It is for such excrescence that Jennings has been told on national television, "No one likes you."

[sam_paine]

And just where did this little non-sequitur come from???

Another rumor referred to a Ryder rental truck full of explosives and driven by "Arab-looking men" targeting the mountain.

Huh? Was this spliced into the article just to see if anyone's reading, or what???? Beam me freaking up, Scottay!

SAM_PAINE'S ULTIMATE BOLD-FACED PREDICTION: The calls for Bush to "spell out the case for invading Iraq" will be answered with a block-buster revelation that OKC was indeed masterminded by Iraq, but not covered up by Clinton...just "missed."

[NMFXSTC]

Remember too...this military is down sized, under funded, and dismally traiined...thank Klinton for that. relying on ANG and Reserve Forces is a sad mistake (no discredit to them, but look at the indecision and lack of clear reactive authority and control...too many channels, too many echelons and too few trigger pullers to be effective.)

I served 27 years in today's military and saw it become soft, "PC", lose all direction other than career ism, and become a less mighty force than we tend to portray...time for change and some mean ass killer instinct to replace the fat cats and echelons of folks one has to encounter before making a decision to empty a waste basket.

The article says it clearly..."give me an hour"...we will not have an hour next time! "Too few aricraft and personnel" (sic)...wake up America...these enemy lunatics m,ade the statement and mission quite clear...they intend to kill us and destroy our way of life!

Sadly, with a hollow miliyary (as we have now) we are feeding them ample opportunity and ammunition!

[jae471]

It's over 150 miles from Langley to DC (Langley is southeast of Williamsburg, much closer to North Carolina than D.C.

At mach 1, that flight takes over 11 minutes.

[fone]

Great heart-stopping article. Thanks for posting it. In the permenant file for sure.

[zapiks44]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[jae471]

The article says it clearly..."give me an hour"...

That bothered me. Why would it take 30 minutes longer to put AMRAAMs on than Sidewinders?

[NMFXSTC]

"Weekend Warriors", my friend...God love 'em, but nothiing replaces the 24/7 active duty military personnel.