This should be a monster scandal. NORAD admits it was their job to
prevent 9-11 type attacks and they admit they had even practiced for
this eventuality. And yet on 9-11 they did nothing while 4
commercial jets were hijacked and flew hundreds of miles off course.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/04/19/norad.exercise/index.html

From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau
Monday, April 19, 2004 Posted: 7:49 PM EDT (2349 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sometime between 1991 and 2001, a regional sector
of the North American Aerospace Defense Command simulated a foreign
hijacked airliner crashing into a building in the United States as
part of training exercise scenario, a NORAD spokesman said Monday.

The exercise was solely to test procedures and was no indication that
NORAD had any reason to believe the scenario would happen in the real
world, according to a spokesman.

It is unclear whether the simulated scenario was that of a hijacked
plane being "used as missile" -- intentionally crashing into a
building -- or that of an out-of-control hijacked plane.

Military officials said the exercise involved simulating a crash into
a building that would be recognizable if identified, but was not the
World Trade Center or the Pentagon.

They emphasize it involved an airliner being hijacked as it flew into
U.S. airspace from abroad, a slightly different scenario from what
happened on September 11, 2001.

The identity of the building named in the exercise is classified.

The exercise was conducted at one regional sector, and was not
conducted at the headquarters, as are major exercises. This sector
exercise involved some flying of military aircraft as well as a
command post exercise in which communications procedures were
practiced in an office environment.

NORAD officials emphasized that if it had been a real event, NORAD
would have instituted standard procedures to try to contact the
aircraft and keep it from crashing.

"We have planned and executed numerous scenarios over the years to
include aircraft originating from foreign airports penetrating our
sovereign airspace. Regrettably the tragic events of 9/11 were never
anticipated or exercised," said Gen. Ralph Eberhart, commander of
NORAD.

NORAD has the ongoing mission of defense of U.S. airspace.

According to a statement from NORAD, "Before September 11th, 01, NORAD
regularly conducted a variety of exercises that included hijack
scenarios. These exercises tested track detection and identification;
scramble and interception; hijack procedures; internal and external
agency coordination and operational security and communications
security procedures."

All of those tasks are the responsibility of NORAD.

The statement continues:

"NORAD did not plan and execute these types of exercises because we
thought the scenarios were probable. These exercises were artificial
simulations that provided us the opportunity to test and validate our
processes and rules of engagement with the appropriate coordination
between NORAD's command headquarters, its subordinate regions and
sectors and National Command authorities in Canada and the United
States.

"Since 9/11 we have continued our exercise program having conducted
more than 100 exercises, all of which have included mock hijacks.
NORAD has flown 35,000 sorties and scrambled or diverted fighters from
air patrols nearly 1,800 times. Additionally, NORAD fighters out of
Florida have intercepted two hijacked aircraft since 9/11; both
originating from Cuba and escorted to Key West in spring 2003. NORAD
remains vigilant and its tolerance for any anomaly in the sky remains
very low. The 9/11 commission has been informed about our exercises
that include hijack scenarios.

"At the NORAD headquarters' level we normally conducted four major
exercises a year, most of which included a hijack scenario. Since 9/11
however we have conducted more than 100 exercises, all of which
included at least one hijack scenario."

This should be a monster scandal. NORAD admits it was their job to
prevent 9-11 type attacks and they admit they had even practiced for
this eventuality. And yet on 9-11 they did nothing while 4
commercial jets were hijacked and flew hundreds of miles off course.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/04/19/norad.exercise/index.html

From Barbara Starr
CNN Washington Bureau
Monday, April 19, 2004 Posted: 7:49 PM EDT (2349 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sometime between 1991 and 2001, a regional sector
of the North American Aerospace Defense Command simulated a foreign
hijacked airliner crashing into a building in the United States as
part of training exercise scenario, a NORAD spokesman said Monday.

The exercise was solely to test procedures and was no indication that
NORAD had any reason to believe the scenario would happen in the real
world, according to a spokesman.

It is unclear whether the simulated scenario was that of a hijacked
plane being "used as missile" -- intentionally crashing into a
building -- or that of an out-of-control hijacked plane.

Military officials said the exercise involved simulating a crash into
a building that would be recognizable if identified, but was not the
World Trade Center or the Pentagon.

They emphasize it involved an airliner being hijacked as it flew into
U.S. airspace from abroad, a slightly different scenario from what
happened on September 11, 2001.

The identity of the building named in the exercise is classified.

The exercise was conducted at one regional sector, and was not
conducted at the headquarters, as are major exercises. This sector
exercise involved some flying of military aircraft as well as a
command post exercise in which communications procedures were
practiced in an office environment.

NORAD officials emphasized that if it had been a real event, NORAD
would have instituted standard procedures to try to contact the
aircraft and keep it from crashing.

"We have planned and executed numerous scenarios over the years to
include aircraft originating from foreign airports penetrating our
sovereign airspace. Regrettably the tragic events of 9/11 were never
anticipated or exercised," said Gen. Ralph Eberhart, commander of
NORAD.

NORAD has the ongoing mission of defense of U.S. airspace.

According to a statement from NORAD, "Before September 11th, 01, NORAD
regularly conducted a variety of exercises that included hijack
scenarios. These exercises tested track detection and identification;
scramble and interception; hijack procedures; internal and external
agency coordination and operational security and communications
security procedures."

All of those tasks are the responsibility of NORAD.

The statement continues:

"NORAD did not plan and execute these types of exercises because we
thought the scenarios were probable. These exercises were artificial
simulations that provided us the opportunity to test and validate our
processes and rules of engagement with the appropriate coordination
between NORAD's command headquarters, its subordinate regions and
sectors and National Command authorities in Canada and the United
States.

"Since 9/11 we have continued our exercise program having conducted
more than 100 exercises, all of which have included mock hijacks.
NORAD has flown 35,000 sorties and scrambled or diverted fighters from
air patrols nearly 1,800 times. Additionally, NORAD fighters out of
Florida have intercepted two hijacked aircraft since 9/11; both
originating from Cuba and escorted to Key West in spring 2003. NORAD
remains vigilant and its tolerance for any anomaly in the sky remains
very low. The 9/11 commission has been informed about our exercises
that include hijack scenarios.

"At the NORAD headquarters' level we normally conducted four major
exercises a year, most of which included a hijack scenario. Since 9/11
however we have conducted more than 100 exercises, all of which
included at least one hijack scenario."