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To: Art Bechhoefer who wrote (104720)	9/14/2001 9:26:51 AM
From: arun gera	Respond to of 152472

>Isn't it unusual, in this period of crowded aircraft, that the four planes were only about one-third full? Wouldn't one expect at least 80 percent of the seats taken on what are considered very popular routes? > Art: Airlines are going relatively empty after the stock market crashed. Friends of mine who travel every week to client sites have been saying this for a month or two. Companies have cut back on travel in a Big Way. Buying too many seats and not turning up at the Airport would have raised a red flag at the Airline securirty. But strategic seats around the terrorists and near flight attendants seats may have been bought. Arun

To: Art Bechhoefer who wrote (104720)	9/14/2001 1:48:55 PM
From: marginnayan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

Someone bought a lot of seats on these planes in order to minimize the possibility that the passengers might overpower the hijackers, as happened on the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania. Buying a lot of seats is not all that expensive, and in fact, the whole operation could have been bankrolled by someone with bin Ladin's wealth. If the terrorist would have done that, it would have made the airlines suspicious. Plus they would have to use different credit cards and also provide names that would even cause some suspicion if the credit card transaction for whole sale purchase of airline tickets is monitored by U.S intelligence. It is possible that they studied these routes for a long time and figured the time when passenger load was not that heavy. Since they knew that they will be using box cutters as so called weapons to over power crew, they made sure that passenger load was light enough for 4-5 terrrorists. This was a well-planned, master-minded operation with superb intelligence comparable to the level of the most sophisticated intelligence agency in the world. Also I think only a limited number of people knew about the entire operation.