9/11 attacks invited

[stickdog]

http://www.theunion.com/article/20040930/OPINION/109300093/0/ARCHIVES

9/11 attacks invited

A D V E R T I S E M E N T


More From Opinion
The wacky, paranoid world we live in
It takes a village idiot
Measure G 'yes' is vote for the future
Life's lessons from the berry patch
Out of tune as well as outnumbered
How about fairness?
Kudos
Loose links

Geordie Zapalac
September 30, 2004

The 9/11 attacks were arguably invited to happen by President Bush and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld when they dismantled standard protocol to intercept hijacked planes on June 1, 2001.

Before June 1, 2001, NORAD fighter interceptions of errant passenger planes were automatic and required no authorization from senior officials. Such interceptions were routine: 67 such fighter interceptions occurred between September 2000 and June 2001. On June 1, 2001, a new Pentagon directive scrapped this long-standing protocol and required all interceptions to be authorized by the secretary of defense.

Hence our skies were left undefended for practical purposes between June 1, 2001, and Sept. 11 at a time when warnings of terrorist attacks were at an all-time high. NORAD had even rehearsed intercepting passenger planes scripted as hijacked to be flown into the World Trade Center and Pentagon during the two years prior to Sept. 11.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

Airliner-intercept exercises were actually taking place on the morning...

...of 911 which also served to add confusion to the chaos of that day:

<http://www.oilempire.us/wargames.html#airforce>

[DulceDecorum]

2. oilempire.us

like several other .us sites
deals only in disinformation.

[kokomo]

1. I never thought so until I read Operation Northwoods and PNAC

The neoCons said it would take another "Pearl Harbor" to get the American people fired up to accept the invasion of Iraq, take over their oil and that was several years BEFORE Bush.

Anyone whoever took a probabilities math course would be astounded by the dozens of events that had to take place, mesh together in order to have 9/11. Box cutters???

Always ask "who benefits?" Bush for one -- the luckiest day of his miserable, failed life.

I just hope 9/11 wasn't our "Reichstag Fire!"

[LARED]

3. Geordie needs a fact checker

This never happened.

[John Doe II]

5. Detail

LARED, could you please explain me your statement more in detail?

[LARED]

6. This is an internet myth

On June 1, 2001, a new Pentagon directive scrapped this long-standing protocol and required all interceptions to be authorized by the secretary of defense.

This was a routine updating of an existing policy. There were some minor changes. None had anything to do with scrapping this so called long standing protocol. This was hashed over on these boards at least a year ago.

No I don't have any links because I can't remember the specify name of the policy

[John Doe II]

7. Ok

But nonetheless this implies that Rumsfeld's authorization aas required, doesn't it?

[LARED]

8. How does a myth imply anything? (n/t)

[John Doe II]

9. You wrote

This was a routine updating of an existing policy. There were some minor changes. None had anything to do with scrapping this so called long standing protocol. This was hashed over on these boards at least a year ago.

So you imply that the directive said that the authorization of Rumsfeld was required. If according to you it didn't say that then please enlighten me and point out what it said. Who had to give authorization???

[LARED]

11. Huh?

So you imply that the directive said that the authorization of Rumsfeld was required.

Show me where I implied that?

[John Doe II]

12. Whatever you implied

Your post said:

On June 1, 2001, a new Pentagon directive scrapped this long-standing protocol and required all interceptions to be authorized by the secretary of defense.
This was a routine updating of an existing policy. There were some minor changes. None had anything to do with scrapping this so called long standing protocol. This was hashed over on these boards at least a year ago.



You call it "a routine updte of an existing policy. There were some minor changes". So I take it that "all interceptions had to be authorized by the secretary of defense" was according to you already part of the directive before June 1, 2001. This implies that Rumsfeld's authorization was required.
But I really don't like running around in circles. If I misinterpretated you then simply point out what the directive is about according to!
Whose authorization is needed????

[John Doe II]

13. So?

Sorry? So as obviously I'm mistaken can you please enlighten me what the dirctive was about and whose authorization was needed?

[LARED]

14. Here read it for yourself

http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/cjcsd/cjcsi/3610_01a.pdf

[John Doe II]

15. Thanks

Well, I've read it already. Obviously I misread it. So once again can you please tell me whose authorization is needed for interception.

[LARED]

16. I'm fairly certain

that the authorization required depends on what type of authorization is required. Different senarios require different authorizations.

I point of all this is that the document in question had been in existence for a number of years. The update in 2001 does not seem to have changed the document in a significant way, nor does it seem to change how things are authorized.

[stickdog]

17. Really? And how did you manage to make this determination?

Please share you insights with us, LARED.

What you've posted is a June 2001 document. It states:

a. Aircraft Piracy (Hijacking) of Civil and Military Aircraft. Pursuant
to references a and b, the Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), has exclusive responsibility to direct law enforcement activity
related to actual or attempted aircraft piracy (hijacking) in the “special
aircraft jurisdiction” of the United States. When requested by the
Administrator, Department of Defense will provide assistance to these
law enforcement efforts. Pursuant to reference c, the NMCC is the focal
point within Department of Defense for providing assistance. In the
event of a hijacking, the NMCC will be notified by the most expeditious
means by the FAA. The NMCC will, with the exception of immediate
responses as authorized by reference d, forward requests for DOD
assistance to the Secretary of Defense for approval. DOD assistance to
the FAA will be provided in accordance with reference d. Additional
guidance is provided in Enclosure A.

...

3a. General. Military personnel will provide the following types of
support: intercept, surveillance, lift, equipment, and communications.
Military personnel may not participate in a search, seizure, arrest, or
other similar activity. This restriction would include the apprehension
of aircraft hijackers or use of military aircraft (fixed-wing or helicopter)
or other vehicles as platforms for gunfire or the use of other weapons
against suspected hijackers. In addition, assistance may not be
provided under this enclosure if it could adversely affect national
security or military preparedness.

3b. Support. When notified that military assistance is needed in
conjunction with an aircraft piracy (hijacking) emergency, the DDO,
NMCC, will:
(1) Determine whether or not the assistance needed is reasonably
available from police or commercial sources. If not, the DDO, NMCC, will
notify the appropriate unified command or NORAD to determine if suitable
assets are available and will forward the request to the Secretary of
Defense for approval in accordance with DODD 3025.15, paragraph D.7
(reference d).

3c. Military Escort Aircraft
(1) When notified that military escort aircraft are needed in
conjunction with an aircraft piracy (hijacking) emergency, the DDO,
NMCC, will notify the appropriate unified command or USELEMNORAD to
determine if suitable aircraft are available and forward the request to the
Secretary of Defense for approval in accordance with DODD 3025.15,
paragraph D.7 (reference d).


If this document changed nothing, exactly why was it issued?

Please post a pre-2000 version of this document for comparison purposes.

[John Doe II]

18. Rumsfeld

Thanks stickdog. Now I don't need to type all this part of the directve! :-)

LARED, for me it's pretty clear that Rumsfeld should have had something to do on 911. That his authorization was required. So why was he absent and only entered the NMCC at 10:30?

[LARED]

22. Are you saying that Rumsfeld

as not available to authorize something because he was not physically in the NMCC?

[John Doe II]

23. Nobody knew where he was!

This is what people worried about in the NMCC:
Brigadier General W. Montague Winfield, US Army:
For 30 minutes
we couldn't find him. And just as we began to worry, he walked into the door of the National Military Command Center.
(ABC, 9/11/02)

He entered at 10:30.

He later said that he was the first one on the crash site and helped people. Unfortunately his room is at the exact opposite side of the building.
Why didn't he immediately follow his assistant Torie Clark to the NMCC after the second hit on the WTC?

[LARED]

21. Why was it issued?

From the document itself, have you read it?

7. Summary of Changes
a. Unmanned vehicles (UAV, ROV) added to the description of
possible derelict airborne objects.
b. Statutory Authority for Responding to Aircraft Piracy enclosure
removed and added to reference list.
c. In various places throughout the document, “USELEMNORAD” was
replaced with “NORAD.”
d. FAA Order 7610.4J, 3 November 1998, “Special Military
Operations,” was added as a reference.

[stickdog]

25. Sorry, LARED, but I'd rather read CJCSI 3610.01 for myself.

"Summary of Changes" isn't always exhaustive.

But, of course, leave it to you to assume it is.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. That's why no one could find Rummie until after 10:00 AM

Despite the fact that he was in his office holding a meeting with Wolfowitz, Rep Cox and others.

Despite the fact that Tori Clarke told him about the first plane hitting the WTC and Rummie did nothing to intervene.

Despite the fact that Wolfowitz claims that since there was nothing they could do about it, they decided to continue with their meeting.

So the only man in the US who could order fighter jets to intercept wayward planes, decided there was nothing he could do about an ongoing terrorist attack using hijacked passenger jets?

[John Doe II]

10. Worse

10:30!
(CNN, 9/4/02)

[RH]

19. Rumsfeld was not in his office

He was here:

[John Doe II]

20. Good for him

He entered the NMCC at 10:30 (CNN, 9/4/02)

And look what somebody else said:
Brigadier General W. Montague Winfield, US Army:
For 30 minutes
we couldn't find him. And just as we began to worry, he walked into the door of the National Military Command Center.
(ABC, 9/11/02)

I know the story that he was one of the first to be at the crash side. It's only quite unlikely as his room is at the exact opposite side of the Pentagon. But anyway.

He's the one whose authorization is needed and he is NOT IN THE NMCC till 10:30. This is a bit late.

[RH]

24. The time that the photo was taken is verifiable

by using the shadows cast as a sun dial.

This was discussed in detail some considerable time ago. If memory serves it was Paul Thomson who was especially concerned with what Rumsfeld was up to.

[stickdog]

26. And just what WERE Rummy, Chimpy and General Lyers up to that morning?

Between 8:46 EDT and 10:06 EDT, to be exact.