Al Qaeda Planned Pearl Harbor Attack Using Hijacked Jetliners
 

I know this is news but I think this one should be discussed. What does everyone thing about that? I would never have thought of Hawaii being a target.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=3...&cat=Terrorism

"al Qaeda was planning to take aim at Pearl Harbor because of its symbolic value."
Actually, that thought had occurred to me because of the above.

I'm assuming that not only the shock factor, but the environmental mess that might have been made by damaging nuclear powered warships would have been a coup for them.

Re: Al Qaeda Planned Pearl Harbor Attack Using Hijacked Jetliners
 

Until 7:55 am on December 7, 1941, no one thought of Hawaii, much less Pearl Harbor as a target either, despite all the intelligence warnings to the contrary.

Had the plan come into fruition it would have been on the level of a masterstroke: flying a fully-loaded 747 out of Honolulu International, then practically making a 180-degree turn to slam into the naval base. Hawaii ANG F-15 interceptors from Hickam would have virtually no time to scramble out of their hangars, and shipboard anti-aircraft systems (which are normally not engaged in port) couldn't react in time, either.

However, it would have taken a massive intelligence operation just to keep track of the ship movements themselves and to try and catch 'em in port unawares to inflict the maximum amount of damage. Modern naval ships are well protected against attack through effective damage control; though they would have probably sustained heavy damage and be put out of commission for a while.

Re: Re: Al Qaeda Planned Pearl Harbor Attack Using Hijacked Jetliners
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AlphaSigOU
Hawaii ANG F-15 interceptors from Hickam would have virtually no time to scramble out of their hangars, and shipboard anti-aircraft systems (which are normally not engaged in port) couldn't react in time, either.


I'll bet if this is a substantial threat, those F-15's are flying CAP's and the ships are at GQ's full time at the moment.

Re: Al Qaeda Planned Pearl Harbor Attack Using Hijacked Jetliners
 

It happened once, and I'm sure it could happen again.

I first heard about this this morning and traffic was a nightmare because all bases [Ft. Shafter, Hickam, Pearl Harbor, Schofield, Wheeler, and KBay]. were doing 100% ID and vehicle checks

It's scary to hear about this. My house is literally 5 minutes away from Pearl Harbor. I don't know what I would do if something like that were to happen here.

Re: Re: Re: Al Qaeda Planned Pearl Harbor Attack Using Hijacked Jetliners
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DeltAlum

Quote:

I'll bet if this is a substantial threat, those F-15's are flying CAP's and the ships are at GQ's full time at the moment.

You betcha! :D Whatever element of surprise the terrorists may have had is already lost. They won't give up easily; they'll just shift their focus to a less-well defended target.

I'd be worried more now about smaller cities and state capitals in America's heartland... Oke City, Tulsa, KC, St. Louis, Omaha, MSP, Denver, etc. Yes, even the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. They're not as glamorous as Noo Yawk, Washington and LA, but an attac on these other cities could spread widespread panic.

FYI
 

For anyone else who's interested in the story:

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../br/br02p.html

Updated at 12:43 p.m., Monday, March 3, 2003
Terror plot report rejected

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i officials are dismissing a published report that terrorists had specifically targeted nuclear submarines in Pearl Harbor in recent weeks.

Both Gov. Linda Lingle and the Hawai‘i National Guard, which is charged with the defense of the state, said intelligence reports that al-Qaida linked terrorists planned an attack were not credible. A story published today in the Washington Times quotes anonymous sources who supposedly said the threats were included in briefings in the last two weeks.

“There is no credible threat that specifically talks about that, that anybody has information that the terrorist organization has actually planned this,” said Maj. Charles Anthony, a spokes-man for the Hawai‘i National Guard.

“We receive updates all the time,” he added. “Our policy is we will not discuss what is in those updates, including one week ago, two weeks or three weeks ago.”

Conversely, any credible threat would prompt a public warning, he said. The Times reported terrorists planned to hijack airplanes from Honolulu International Airport and crash them into a ship or submarine docked at nearby Pearl Harbor.

“If I had believed at any time that there was any sort of a threat, regardless of how you want to describe it, we would have made adjustments in our alert status,” Lingle said today.

Even when the nation’s threat level was raised last month to orange, Hawai‘i officials kept the state’s threat level at blue, a lower status, Lingle said. The national threat level has since been lowered a degree, to yellow.

“We’re in constant and integrated touch throughout the state of Hawai‘i on any threat to the people or visitors in our state and without commenting on that specifically I can tell you that if there was any sort of a threat to our people we would not have left our level at blue as we did,” Lingle said.

“We left it at blue because there was no credible threat to the people of Hawai‘i and that remains today.”

Anthony said the Guard’s F-15 fighter jets are prepared to defend the state against a possible terrorist attack.

“We always have aircraft on alert, ready to launch at a moment’s notice,” he said.

A spokesman for Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of U.S. military forces in the Pacific, yesterday had no comment about the report.

“I have no information about what's being reported in the Washington Times,” said Navy Capt. John Singley.

Military bases on O‘ahu today are at force protection level “bravo” or higher, meaning an increased and more predictable threat of terrorist activity exists.

Steps required during “bravo” include examining all mail for bombs and checks of visitors’ hand-carried items.