Logan Airport...9/11...and the FAA

[imax2268]

On another site a repug is saying that Kerry passed the buck because he didn't follow up on the information that was given to him by that security guy who raised the red flags about Logan Airport prior to 9/11...but he did give all that info to the FAA

She says that since the hijackers boarded the planes at Logan Airport that it's Kerry's fault because he didn't do enough after passing along all the info that he was given to the FAA...

I mean come on...I'm not buying this at all...I know this has been debunked...but they insist saying that he ignored it by not following up on it...

My thing is...if that he gave all the info that he was given to the FAA, and they did nothing about the lack of security at the airport then they dropped the ball on that part...How did Kerry drop the ball...

Why is it that they insist on spreading these right-wing talking points instead of looking at the big picture...

[imax2268]

1. Here is her post...

(quote)
in reference to the Logan airport - I typed a response to the "Kerry did the right thing" excuse on the other thread about this. That issue has not really been "debunked." All that the guy is saying is that Kerry passed the information on to the right people.

Don't you find it hypocritical to say the same thing about Bush - that he HAD the information yet the attacks happened so it's his fault - but not to say the same about Kerry?

Kerry HAD information - yet the Muslims boarded the airplanes at Logan. He was well aware of the security breaches there, yet the attacks happened. Kerry did not follow up on the information. He passed the buck. If HE had done something those security breaches would have been corrected and the Muslims would not have been able to hijack airplanes from Logan Airport.
(quote)

and then this...when I said that I wasn't buying what she is saying...

(quote)
But the bottom line is, whatever he did was not enough - the hijackings happened from his airport AFTER he had been warned about the breaches in security.

And people who tried to give information about the breaches to Kerry did not hear back from him - or anyone representing him, or anyone he passed the information on to.
(quote)

Is this enough to drive someone insane or what...?

If I'm wrong can someone explain that to me then...!

[Sparky McGruff]

2. He should have known of the level of incompetence of Bush appointees.

He should have known that Bush was incompetent. He should have known that Bush appointed incompetent people who were intent on pushing political agendas. He should have known that the primary job of any Bush appointee is to dismantle the organization from the inside, and if possible to do so in a way that enriches campaign contributors. He should have known that the last thing that an agency run by the Bush administration would ever do is act upon information that there was a danger to the American people.

Knowing that, it's obvious that Kerry was at fault for trusting the incompetent Bush administration to do anything. Obviously, no blame should ever be laid at the feet of the incompetent Bush administration.

[imax2268]

3. lol

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. Poor misguided Freeper...as a Senator, Kerry had no control over...

...what happens or does not happen at facilities under Federal control. Since December 2000, the FAA has been reporting ultimately to the little guy that's been illegally squatting in the White House, not to John Kerry.

Additionally, NORAD, the agency that controls the interceptors, also ultimately reports to the same little turkey that was AWOL when Vietnam was still ongoing. Also not to John Kerry.

That Freeper needs to be returned to the nearest mental health facility immediately, if not sooner.

[Neecy]

5. it would hardly have 'stopped' anything

Given the dual mandate of FAA prior to 9/11 - to promote the U.S. aviation industry and a security mandate - passing anything along to them would have gone into a big black hole.

The airlines, who claim to have been 'taken by surprise' by the hijackings, were reponsible prior to 9/11 for checkpoint security. As we all know that profits are more important than lives, checkpoint contracts went to the lowest bidder. As a result, the checkpoint jobs were minimum wage, high-turnover postitions where english was almost always a second language. I could tell horror stories about checkpoints at major US airports prior to 9/11. The personnel problems at every major airport in the United States were *well known*.

Second, FAA is loaded with ex-airline employees, who then have a mandate to enforce security on their previous airlines. I once had an FAA inspector board one of our aircraft from the ramp, take a seat without a boarding pass in business class and order a pre-flight cocktail. You'd think the airline would have been fined, but nothing happened. It's like a club, or at least it was before 9/11. I'm hoping the new TSA isn't full of FAA retreads, but from everything I've heard it is.

So, Kerry going to FAA would have accomplished exactly zero. I suspect that he DID and the result was -zero.

[imax2268]

6. that's what I was thinking...

thanks...

[KharmaTrain]

7. Logan Traveler...August, 2001...Me!

A few notes, thoughts...maybe to add some light to this string.

In August '01 I went to a wedding in Boston...flying in and out of Logan in the weeks just prior to 9/11 (I think it was August 25th...). I had never been to Boston before, but had been warned of what a zoo Logan was, but I was surprised how of a mess it was.

First, there was lots of construction going on...driving in and around was a nightmare...almost impossible for emergency vehicles to manuever in.

I stayed at a hotel on the harbor with a beautiful view right onto the runways at Logan. Planes (two at a time) were taking off day and night, and it was kinda neat watching (I have videos). I couldn't help notice how the airport came up right to the edge of Boston harbor and how easy it could be for someone to sail onto the edge of the tarmac and into the airport.

Finally, as we were leaving...on a Sunday evening, the departure terminal was a joke. Only two of five detectors were working and the crew running the scan looked overworked and indifferent. Lines backed up and were quickly moved through (remember this was just before 9/11). I remember my wife's bag set off the "yellow" light...and it was locked. Instead of opening, the screener just asked her what was inside that could have set the detector off. Ironically, it was her nail clippers. Hmm. The line was long, thus the screener took her word, waved her through and...after an hour delay...our adventure at Logan was at an end. It made our return to O'hare here in Chicago seem very welcome.

While I won't draw any connections, I could easily see why Logan was targeted as one of the places the hijackers would use. Besides its availability of likely missiles, the confusion created by the construction and understaffing made it ripe for disaster. Sadly.

[imax2268]

8. thanks...

from the ideas that I got from this thread I think I shut them up...but we will see...I'm sure they will come up with some drivel very soon...