Wake Up America: The Looming Threat of Terrorists in Small Aircraft... and Cars
by Dave Lindorff
February 19, 2010
The deliberate suicide crash bombing by a domestic terrorist pilot of a small plane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas has exposed a grave failure of the Homeland Security Department to protect us Americans from the threat posed by the virtually unregulated use in this country of small aircraft.
If Homeland Security won't act, then it is up to Congress to move quickly to tighten up security and control over small planes. We need to insist that anyone seeking a pilot's license first submit to a full screening by the FBI. No one with a criminal record of any kind should be permited to fly or ride in a small plane. The same should be true with regard to all foreigners. Since it's not possible to do a full check of the background of persons from other countries, only US citizens should be able to obtain and fly small aircraft within US airspace.
But that's not enough. We should ban all small aircraft from flying within a mile of any urban areas, and the military should be given authority to take down any plane that violates that rule. The Airforce should be ordered to have fighters, armed with loaded machine guns, in the air at all times, ready to be called into action if a small plane appears to be on a threatening flight path.
America cannot lower its guard.
Of course, while we're at it, we need to consider the much bigger problem of the widespread access to cars and trucks, which are equally capable of being made into four-wheeled bombs. If a deranged man can use a plane to take out an IRS building, how long will it be before another equally deranged man or woman who fails a driver's test decides to take out a motor vehicle office?
There is only one solution. We need to crack down heavily on who can obtain a driver's license. Probably the best solution would be to require anyone seeking a drivers licence to first undergo psychological screening. Nobody found to have anger management difficulties, or any history of violent or aggressive behavior, should be allowed to own or drive a vehicle. (One good screening technique would be to slow down service at motor vehicle offices even more, and then to bar anyone who shows signs of impatience or anger from obtaining a license.)
The Austin IRS building attack was a wake-up call.
It's time to act to keep Americans safe!
Read the full article at:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/02/19-4
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