Pilots Didn't Radio Air Force One, Airline Says

[cthrumatrix]

Pilots Didn't Radio Air Force One, Airline Says

Reuters
Tuesday, December 2, 2003; Page A03


British Airways said yesterday that none of its pilots made contact with President Bush's plane during its secret flight to Baghdad on Thanksgiving, contradicting White House reports of a midair exchange that nearly prompted Bush to call off his trip. Honor Verrier, a spokeswoman for British Airways in North America, said two British Airways aircraft were in the area at the time and neither radioed the president's plane to ask if it was Air Force One.

"We have spoken to the British Airways captains who were in the area at the time and neither made comments to Air Force One nor did they hear any other aircraft make the statement over the radio," Verrier said.

The White House had no immediate comment on the discrepancy.

Bush aides recounted last week that a British Airways pilot thought he spotted the president's blue and white Boeing 747 from his cockpit.

snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26718-2003Dec1.html

okay....so who is lying here? More to the point...why?

[karlschneider]

1. Um, dupe here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=247700&mesg_id=247700

[izzie]

2. Riding the sky on blue and white horse.

Our cowboys are still living in a 1950 Western with the US military riding in behind the hero Bush. Madness, what ever they say. When is someone going to tell him he has no clothing on? What comes out of the White House is like a dream world. Lie after lie on everything.

[Hieronymus]

3. OMG, they'd just as soon lie as tell the truth.

John Stewart made a comment about how secretive the trip was and suggested, imagine, what they could do secretly if they wanted to do something bad.:think:

[mhr]

4. Does Anyone Else Suspect That * Never Actually Went To Iraq?

Maybe it was all staged on some Hollywood style set with fake military persons and compliant media.

[Beaker]

6. Doubtful.

Considering that the families of all the servicemen who saw them on tv would have to be in on the conspiracy.
Air Force 1 is more comfortable than a lot of people's apartments...All the Lil'Dictator had to do was take a nap, and watch a movie, or vice-versa, and he's there.

[Drifter]

14. I don't think they ...

would be able to pull that off. There would be too many opportunities for failure. They would still have to pretend he is there to satisfy the many legs of the journey.

Anyways, I think a DUer actually saw their son (or daughter) standing not far from AWOL in the photo op. Either their child is part of the coverup, or dipshit actually went there.

Besides, he wasted 2 million dollars to spend 2.5 hours in Baghdad for a political photo op. That is clearly par for the course with AWOL.

Cheers
Drifter

[chelaque liberal]

22. Is the $2,000,0000 verifiable?

If that is true, and I know it had to have been extremely expensive, it is even more outragous. The cost should be paid by his campaign fund.

[bushisanidiot]

20. What Time (Iraq Time) Was Bubble Boy There?

I thought I heard that the idiot arrived at night with no lights, etc.. and I assume he ran away (after filling his belly) while it was still dark out.. so did someone have to go around and wake up the troops and say "surprise! you get to eat turkey with the chickenhawk who sent you here!!
so wake up, get out of bed and go act like you are going to meet the terminator!"

seriously.. i wonder what criteria was used to pick which troops to wake up in the middle of the night and which troops to let sleep. hmmmm..

Also, the only pictures I've seen of AWOL on the trip and outside the "mess hall" were on the stairs of AF1, but the picture is zoomed in so you can't see the scenery in the background.

[UpInArms]

5. here are two links to the "spotted" by British Airlines pilot story

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20031127-114752-9229r.htm

But the entire ruse was nearly undone when an observant pilot of a British Airways jetliner spotted the plane and asked on the radio, "Did I just see Air Force One?"

The president's pilot, Col. Mark Tillman, responded, "Gulf Stream Five" — referring to a much smaller plane. "Oh," replied the British pilot, perhaps catching on, perhaps unaware.

and

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1128bush28.html

On the flight over, Air Force One had come within sight of a British Airways plane, Dan Bartlett, White House communications director, told reporters on the trip. Bartlett said the British Airways pilot radioed, "Did I just see Air Force One?" There was silence before the Air Force One pilot replied, "Gulfstream 5."

Bartlett said there was a longer silence from the British Airways pilot, who, seeming to understand that he was in on a secret, replied, "Oh."

so I wonder why Dan lied?

[snippy]

7. The White House had to lie about this.

The only other option was not to lie.

[KansDem]

8. I'm completely baffled by this latest stunt...

How could the White House have even remotely benefited from this fabrication??????????

I'm at a lost for ANY explanation. :shrug:

[leetrisck]

9. I'm amazed at this story - was it to

somehow prove they were really in the air? They lie about so much that it just seems to pour out of their mouths and not a soul ever asks for an explanation - they've lied about much more serious things than this and gotten away with it so why not this?

[UpInArms]

10. have you noticed that many of their lies

center on airplanes and communications?

hmmmm.... a pattern developes ....

[Zero Gravitas]

11. Amazing

Their arrogance and desire for propaganda is tripping them up. Why make this stuff up? I suppose they think it makes * look more daring. "Oh! his cover was almost blown but he went on anyway! How Brave! Have Daring! What A Great Leader!".

[kskiska]

12. Imagine how Ari would spin on this

if he were still on the job.

[Ernesto]

15. Hey I never thougt I'd say this

but I kind of miss Ari. The lying little snake was always good for a laugh (er lie).

[Drifter]

13. I find it odd ...

they would put AF1 even remotely close enough to civilian airliner traffic. Not for secrecy, but for safety.

Cheers
Drifter

[ignatius]

18. Drifter, that was exactly what I was thinking. How indeed would

they be close enough to see the plane? Is this a normal ocurence? I am not a pilot, perhaps it happens all the time, but that doesn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy about flying anymore.

[kskiska]

16. New White House version of events

According to CNN, the W.H. is now claiming that the British Airways pilot didn't speak to Air Force One, but the control tower. No word yet from British Airways.

[cthrumatrix]

17. spin away....it's a lie...they have been caught again.......Period

[TXvote]

19. Can You Say Pathological?

Every psych 101 student in the world would recognize lying when completely unnecessary is not just cute fun it is a sign of something much deeper, perhaps bordering on sociopathic behavior. So, to me, the question is, who is the pathological sociopath in the White House? Is it Rove who is suggesting these lies? Is it Bush shooting off his mouth and everyone just covering? Wonder if Ari is having fun spending more time with his family......

[chelaque liberal]

21. This is just like the lie on 9/11

Remember how they said at first that AF1 flew around the country instead of returning to DC because there was a threat that * was a target, but later had to deny it. It sex's up the story, makes the fable bigger, more dangerous than it was.
Give me a break!

[DemonFighterLives]

23. Next Stop

Mars. Bush photo op with little green men showing how he brought the Space program back from destruction. After that maybe the moon where he can tackle the Chinese just as they go for our flag.
His directors are great. He really gets around.