Originally Posted by
pmocek
Success of the operation may also have been related to (as
reported to the 9/11 Commission, later
confirmed and
reconfirmed by eyewitness Norman Mineta, then U.S. Secretary of Transportation)
Dick Cheney's issuance of an order for NORAD to stand-down as the hijacked jetliner approached the Pentagon.
Mineta's testimony on May 23, 2003, to the 9/11 Commission included:
Mineta has since explained that at the time he assumed that the orders to which the young man referred were to shoot down the hijacked plane, but learned later that this was not the case. Note that
Mineta's testimony to the 9/11 Commission was not included in the 9/11 Commission Report.
Also likely related: a
June 1, 2001, change in NORAD and Pentagon orders that revoked the default standing orders to shoot down errant or hijacked aircraft and instructed them instead to
stand down until they were given orders by the President, Vice President or Secretary of Defense.
I have to admit, I have not reviewed these sources as much as I should have. Thank you for the references, I'll remedy the problem.
I do recall reading some stories in, I think, late 2002 that suggested these types of changes/orders had been made to hide military forces that were positioned for action within US borders. I think that was from a pretty fringe source, though.
Originally Posted by
halls120
Well, I'm glad to see that at least one TSA employee "gets it."
Originally Posted by
Superguy
^
Now only if more people in TSA, especially management, got it like you do.
Well, I walked home past the burning Pentagon, (The nice Arab cab driver couldn't take us very far, as all the major roads were closed.) lived downwind of the Pentagon for the first 3 days of the week long fire, rode the train with armed guards and Pentagon staff every day after, and spent a lot of time with lawyers who were upset that they couldn't give up high five and six figure jobs to go drop bombs in Afghanistan. These sorts of experiences kind of leave an impression on one.