Errant Planes

Last week a small plane flies into the restricted airspace of the Nation's Capitol. By all accounts it was just a mistake, as possibly evidenced by the freezing of the 69 year old pilot when approached by the Black Hawk helicopter. And if that didn't paralyze him enough, two F-16 fighter jets rushed to the scene, dipping their wings and dropping flares. Thank goodness the 36 year old student pilot had his wits about him or there might really have been a national emergency at the White House.

But this isn't about the errant, and possibly clueless, meanderings of a pilot and his plane. This is about how the government, NORAD, and the FAA handles air security. I've been expecting someone to draw a corollary on this one, and excuse me if I haven't seen it, but what about 9/11? I'm not a historian of FAA protocol, and perhaps I'm talking out my arse, but I do believe that FAA and NORAD regulations regarding restricted air space on the morning of 9/11 were fairly similar to what they are now--the fugly war on terrorism at home and abroad, all the personal sacrifices to civil liberty, gargantuan debt, etc., we've had forced on us aside.

Two things. Questions.

Thing one: Why the huge, and costly, evacuation of the White House and nearby government offices last week, but no evacuation of the second tower or the Pentagon on 9/11...when NORAD, FAA, and the air traffic controllers all KNEW there were big errant planes flying around, ostensibly bent on becoming missles of death? (Oh that's right, there was a full scale war game going on that morning and everyone "in charge" believed that the planes they were seeing on their screens weren't actually real? Nevermind the actual television footage of actual carnage?)

Thing two: Why does our "commander in chief" continue to not be kept abreast of critical emergencies? The White House security level is raised to its highest, Red. But the president is kept blissfully unaware as he continues frolicking on his bike, probably dreaming about his pet goat.

For more information on air security protocols, war games, and evidence regarding government complicity on 9/11, see:
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4 I declare a bad war.