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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Charles Tutt who wrote (1043)	9/13/2001 2:20:53 AM
From: mozek	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 27666

Twist on the "Bigger than Bin Laden" theory. I've seen two informed security experts talking with Dan Rather on two consecutive nights, both of whom suggested that this was an incredibly sophisticated operation that seemed beyond the abilities of Bin Laden. They also said that the US lack of prior intelligence indicates that we may have been looking in the wrong places while things were being planned. They suggested that this may have been perpetrated by someone else, possibly even an enemy government. I suggest an alternate possibility. New information shows that more than one of the pilots learned to fly at the same flight school in the US. They also believe the operation was planned over the course of 2 years. Why would a state enroll operatives in a civilian flight school in the US? Why not just train them or use known fanatical, trained pilots? It would seem to have less risk of exposure and require only access to planes and instructors, not a big deal for any government. In fact, if you figure that the 16 hijackers knew they would commit suicide throughout the 2 years, they probably wouldn't require much more than living expenses, travel, and cost of flight school during their preparation. They used sophisticated methods, but required no expensive equipment. This operation could have been pulled off by a relatively small group of fanatics with a plan, a cunning leader or group of leaders, possibly even a smaller group than Bin Laden's band, which may also explain how we missed it in our intelligence gathering. Certainly, enrolling in flight school does not seem like a reasonable training method for a group with state resources at its disposal. I think there are 3 possibilities: 1. This was Osama Bin Laden's work. 2. This was the work of a fanatical, tightly-knit group, possibly even smaller than Bin-Laden's. 3. The operation was done by a government and deliberately orchestrated to point to Bin-Laden or some small group as a diversion. Personally, I find #3 unlikely, since a motivated government would likely use the resources at its disposal to increase chances for success. I suspect it's either #1 or 2. I, like many in America, am shocked, horrified, and angry at those who would perpetrate such an unbelievably despicable act. At the same time, I am concerned that we are poised to embark on broad and consequential military action. I agree that we should unmercifully punish those responsible, but I also want to make sure it is directed at the real perpetrators and those who helped them. As far as Bin Laden is concerned, he has already done enough to deserve retribution, but successfully eliminating him and his group may or may not deal justice to those behind this abomination. I hope that we eventually understand the real threat and respond to the perpetrators in kind. I believe that Americans want huge losses on the other side, wherever that may be, but I still fear that the perpetrators may not have numbers that will satisfy our need for vengeance. I, like most Americans, want justice, retribution, and the ability to, once again, feel that we have some measure of control over our own security without sacrificing our most precious freedoms. I also hope with all my being that we do not overreact with America's incredible might and enter a war that may change our world even more dramatically for the worse. Mike PS. Charles, I hope that you and yours are well.