Terror Threat for Cargo Airlines

[Huck]

MSNBC


Nov. 7 — Al-Qaida terrorists could soon use cargo planes to attack targets in the United States, U.S. officials told NBC News on Friday, citing new intelligence indicating a threat similar to the one that preceded the Sept. 11, 2001, strikes in New York and Washington. At the same time, “credible” information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia were closer to carrying out attacks there led the U.S. Embassy to close all U.S. missions in the kingdom beginning Saturday. FEW DETAILS were immediately available about the new intelligence, which did not include specific times or locations, U.S. officials told NBC News’ Jim Miklaszewski on condition of anonymity, but they stressed that they were taking the threat seriously.
The officials said the most imminent threats were aimed at U.S. targets overseas, but they said they could not rule out the possibility of an attack on U.S. soil. They said the threat was strikingly similar to the plot in which 19 al-Qaida operatives hijacked four U.S. jetliners and flew three of them into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon a little more than two years ago.
Officials at the Homeland Security Department said they had no immediate plans to raise the national threat level, which is currently at “yellow,” or “elevated,” but the department planned to issue an advisory to local law enforcement agencies, state homeland security officers and private industry, including airlines.
U.S. officials told NBC News’ Carl Rochelle on condition of anonymity that al-Qaida was also believed to be behind the threat to U.S. installations in Saudi Arabia, as well as U.S. “commercial and maritime” installations in the region.
The U.S. Embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, said in a warden message on its Web site Friday that the missions in Riyadh, Jiddah and Dhahran would close to assess their “security posture.” They will then advise the U.S. community when the review is completed and when the missions plan to resume normal operations.
Americans in the kingdom should be “vigilant when in any area that is perceived to be American or Western,” the message said, warning: “The Embassy continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom.”
Saudi police uncovered a cell Monday believed linked to al-Qaida in the holy city of Mecca. Police believe the cell had planned to carry out attacks during Ramadan.

 

[UpNDownGuy]

How ironic...

One part of our confused government is concerned about the potential for cargo airplanes being used as weapons in the US. Meanwhile, Congress is falling all over themselves to allow foreign cargo carriers the opportunity to spend LOTS of time over US airspace through cabotage. Do they ever talk to each other?

 

[dispatchguy]

For this latest alert

BLAH BLAH BLAH....

 

[your_dreamguy]

I agree with Dispatchguy

This is a bunch of BS. The gov. needs to keep forcing the press to put out these stories because people are actually starting to question Bush's war as opposed to blindly following in the past. They need to keep unnecessarily scaring the ignorant people. You know, the 80% of Americans that can't even point to the US on a blank map of the world. Also, Bush needs to justify his upcoming invasion of Syria and Iran (at the will of the neo-conservitives...i.e. neo-convicts). Note: This future invasion will only occur after he is re-elected.

 

[bart]

I say why wait until after the election, it would be a great
photo-op to have a couple of US armored divisions in Teheran and Damascus for Christmas. The last time we were in this situation and took the democrat way of wetting ourselves, tail-tucking and running, we had 50 years of cold war with the Soviets.

Finish the job, and finish it before the democrats get ahold of it and turn a resounding victory into a shameful defeat like they did in:

1) Europe after WWII, by coddling their ideologic hero, Stalin.

2) Vietnam, by hamstringing the military with idiotic rules of engagement.

3) Cuba, by **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**ing out and leaving brave men to die without air cover.

4) Somalia, by turning tail and running after a major engagement and having no stomach for US losses in the face of huge enemy casualties and dramatic damage to the enemy's combat power.

So, I say, let's finish consolidating in Iraq, and then if Iran and Syria don't hold popular elections within a year, smoke Assad and his counterparts in Iran. And those of you with no stomach for it, stay home and hide under your beds.

 

[mar]

Tough guy

A "resounding victory"?

Like Iraq?

Oh that's right. I forgot. The war's over. The troops are coming home now.

<sob>

I guess I haven't the stomach for it.

That's right. In fact your post makes me sick.

<barf>

 

[KigAir]

Crap, somebody could hijack a sanitation truck and drive it into a building..

 

[mach none]

Re: How ironic...

One part of our confused government is concerned about the potential for cargo airplanes being used as weapons in the US. Meanwhile, Congress is falling all over themselves to allow foreign cargo carriers the opportunity to spend LOTS of time over US airspace through cabotage. Do they ever talk to each other?

On the "Majors" interview board, there is a sample letter to use for writing your Senator and Congressmen asking them to turn down HR 2115 (I think that is the bill). I would suggest we all do it. This will be the beginning of the end for all of our careers!

 

[sky37d]

Garbage trucks are less of a worry.
I remember a year ago, the company I worked for had the DOT come visit to talk about shipping hazmat (we shipped only compressed air, ground, for fire dept's), and the person who came, talked about her hobby was to go out at night and look for PROPANE TANKERS, that had the keys in them. She usually found a couple every week.

Now, a propane tanker, full or 1/2 full, could do an immense amount of damage. We're talking fuel-air bomb equivalents. Yet, there's no outcry about those. Guess they are too common.

 

[dasmith]

Cargo pilots fret over FAA bill

By DAVE HIRSCHMAN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


A little-noticed provision in the Federal Aviation Administration's budget bill has U.S. cargo pilots worried that they could be replaced by cheaper foreign labor on some domestic routes.

The proposal sponsored by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) would allow foreign cargo carriers to fly between Alaska and the lower 48 United States as long as the carriers have code-share agreements with U.S. airlines and the freight originates overseas.

U.S. cargo pilots are afraid they'll be replaced by Asian carriers with lower labor costs and less regulatory oversight.

"We've got 10,000 [furloughed] pilots on the street right now," said David Webb, president of the FedEx Pilots Association, the union representing the Memphis-based company's pilots.

"We're concerned about the loss of U.S. jobs, and this bill guarantees that's going to happen. We've gone too far with the exportation of U.S. jobs already."

FedEx and UPS, the delivery giant based in Sandy Springs, say they are neither supporting nor opposing the Stevens provision.

"We're taking a wait-and-see approach to this," said David Bolger, a UPS spokesman. "We want to look at the results."

Northwest Airlines, which operates a fleet of Boeing 747 freighters on Asian routes, is backing the bill.

The Minnesota-based airline has a code-share agreement with Air China and its affiliate, China Cargo, which plans to launch flights to New York.

Northwest says the provision will allow its partner to stop in Anchorage and transfer some cargo to the Minneapolis-based airline, while flying the rest on to New York. That will cut costs, improve service and add U.S. jobs, Northwest argues.

"The Stevens amendment will increase traffic on existing Northwest Cargo flights," said Kurt Ebenhoch, a Northwest spokesman. "We believe that by adding business to our ... cargo flights, it will increase jobs."

Other countries, including China, prohibit foreign airlines from flying domestically.

The Air Line Pilots Association, which has been leery of the idea of allowing foreign airlines to fly domestic routes, says there's no reason for the United States to weaken its barriers unilaterally.

"One might ask: Why should the U.S. Congress provide open access to our air transportation markets without even asking for reciprocal opportunities abroad -- such as in the huge domestic markets of mainland China," said Duane Woerth, ALPA president. "The answer: because the government of China would not allow it."