U.S. Foresaw Terror Threats in 1970s

[andino]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20050124/ap_on_go_ot/nixon_terrorism
quote:
WASHINGTON - Nearly three decades before the Sept. 11 attacks, a high-level government panel developed plans to protect the nation against terrorist acts ranging from radiological "dirty bombs" to airline missile attacks, according to declassified documents obtained by The Associated Press.
SNIP

QUOTE:
Committee members identified commercial jets as a particular vulnerability, but raised concerns that airlines would not pay for security improvements such as tighter screening procedures and routine baggage inspections.

"The trouble with the plans is that airlines and airports will have to absorb the costs and so they will scream bloody murder should this be required of them," according to a White House memo from 1972. "Otherwise, it is a sound plan which will curtail the risk of hijacking substantially."
SNIP

So does that mean that Condi Rice was wrong when she said no one foresaw of people using commercial jets as weapons???

[Miss Authoritiva]

1. In a word: YES

So does that mean that Condi Rice was wrong when she said no one foresaw of people using commercial jets as weapons???

Absolutely. Just flip through any books and articles on terrorism written since the mid-1960s onward -- there was an inevitable progression of events, especially those involving commercial airliners. In the mid-1970s there were several coordinated massacres in European airports. This, apparently, did not trouble the number crunchers and stockholders of America's domestic airlines. Not so curiously, from the mid-1970s onward, El Al was the safest airline (in terms of passenger security precautions) because they had enough sense to see what was coming.

So, really, Condi's playing dumb about "who could have imagined" only served to damn her political soul to hell.

Scriptoids

[killbotfactory]

2. Bush and Co were caught with their pants down

They were so busy trying to restart the cold war so their bidness buddies could make the big bucks that they ignored the threat of terrorism.