German court scraps law on downing hijacked planes

[tocqueville]

By Diana Niedernhoefer
1 hour, 14 minutes ago

KARLSRUHE, Germany (Reuters) - A law allowing the German air force to shoot down errant planes to prevent a suicide attack is against the constitution and must be scrapped, the country's highest court ruled on Wednesday.

The German law, drawn up two years after the September 11 suicide hijack attacks on the United States would have allowed the defense minister to order the shooting down of a hijacked or rogue plane.

But it was challenged in the Constitutional Court by critics who argued the state had no right to "sacrifice" apparently doomed passengers to try to save lives on the ground.

The court ruled that while the constitution allowed the federal government to use the army in dealing with natural disasters and serious accidents, it did not have the right to order the use of military weapons.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060215/wl_nm/security_germany_air_dc