Germany approves measure to shoot down hijacked airliners

Jerusalem Post ^ | Nov. 5, 2003 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[yonif]

Germany's Cabinet on Wednesday approved measures to allow the military to shoot down hijacked airliners over German airspace that are deemed to pose a threat.

The bill leaves the decision to act with the federal government, not the military, under an agreement reached after weeks of talks between Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's governing Social Democrats and their junior partner, the Greens.

Under the proposal, which requires parliamentary approval, the defense minister or a Cabinet-appointed deputy can decide to have the plane shot down "as a last resort."

The aircraft would have to pose an immediate danger in German airspace, directly threaten people's lives and have failed to respond to orders to land and warning shots.

Already well aware of the threat posed by hijacked aircraft after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Defense Minister Peter Struck proposed the measure in January after a mentally disturbed man stole a small plane and circled the skyscrapers of downtown Frankfurt, threatening to crash into them.

[Dallas59]

Does it matter what race the hijacker is? Maybe this new rule only applies to Jewish or Israeli hijackers.

[iBillDavis]

by the time its an act of last resort is made the terroist act will have been completed...

[NRA2BFree]

Memo to self: Don't fly near Germany! I guess I'll have to cancel my vacation to Germany. :) As if I'd spend my money in a country who betrayed us. Never!

[Prodigal Son]

LOL, you realize we have protocols for shooting down jet liners in the USA as well.

[1rudeboy]

Do you have a source for that claim?

[diamondjoe]

How long till we hear the inevitable "but we thought that El Al jet was hijacked!" excuse.

[NRA2BFree]

LOL, you realize we have protocols for shooting down jet liners in the USA as well.

Oh brother, how blonde was that? LOL I forgot. :)

[1rudeboy]

Thank you. But your link does not establish that the Germans "won't" extradite. The best you can do is say they "probably" won't. I thought you had some new information.

[mewzilla]

No member of the EU can extradite to a country that has the dealth penalty. It's verboten.