As Hagmann annotates the media reports,
Louis E. Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, publicly stated that he “approved” of a “mission over New York” and assumed full responsibility for the fallout it caused. If the plan did not originate with Caldera, who created the “mission” and where did it “originate?”
According to a memo obtained by NYC CBS Channel 2, “Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.” Why? What was the motive?
According to initial reports, federal officials failed to notify New York officials about this event (despite of the anticipated panic). However, subsequent reports indicate that some New York City officials were indeed notified, but were restricted under the severest of classification - the punishment of losing federal money - if anyone broke silence about this planned event. If this was indeed an innocuous photo-op as claimed, why the need for secrecy that includes those assigned to protect the city from enemy attack?
Who was aboard the Air Force One lookalike? Please supply the passenger manifest.
Several prominent buildings were evacuated by the perceived threat of a terrorist attack on lower Manhattan shortly after 10:00 AM Monday. According to official White House accounts, Barack Hussein Obama claims he did not know about this until later in the afternoon. Considering the national security implications, what was the reason for the delay?
The “mission” was conducted at a reported cost of $328,835. is
that a reasonable allocation of taxpayer money for a “photo-op?”
So far no one has mentioned it, but this insensitive, expensive, stupid stunt could have turned deadly had it been staged an hour or so earlier than it's 10:00 am start time. Most people had arrived at their places of work, and, though several buildings were evacuated, the relatively light numbers of people on the streets kept the panic clearly shown on the videos from resulting in injuries.
But at 8:45 to 9:00 am on a Tuesday morning the streets of lower Manhattan are a river of humanity streaming from subways, busses, and ferries through the narrow streets to their buildings. On 9/11/01 the shock of the event stopped them in their tracks until the collapse of the south tower sent them fleeing the area. Had those planes arrived at that hour on Monday, over a city to which low-flying passenger airliners triggers memories of terror and death, it could have set off a panicked stampede resulting in injuries and even loss of life.
It has been suggested that the Obama administration be billed for the loss of business and other disruptions caused by their "photo-op". How about charging those responsible for "crying "Fire" in a crowded theater", because it was exactly that, writ large.
