Quote:
Originally posted by Seaver
Well Archer was kinda-right here. According to laws passed in the 80s there are no air-search radars in the continental US, only doppler used for weather. Idendification Friend or Foe pods (IFF) are what are used to control them. The civilian version send out altitude, direction, and speed, everything you need to drive the tin. These IFF civilian pods are handed out to the entire world, anyone who needs one. The problem is because there is no active radar within the US when the terrorists disabled the IFF pods they were effectively stealthed, we couldnt see where they were.
Of course this has changed, the instant aircraft stop replying over the radio, or IFF goes down fighters are immediately scrambled... which brought on this question.
Quite simply because the order didnt come soon enough. Any commander that ordered military units against US civilians without specific orders to do so could and should recieve immediate reprimand and court martial.
Civilian leaders have since then created specific rules to fly and intercept any aircraft that IFF/radar are not replying. Would you honestly be comfterble with a military that would move on US citizens without civilian orders?
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I won't ignore the thrust of your points.
I have heard, however, a smattering of reports that either hint or state that our intelligence departments did have at least some kind of warning and should or could have responded more diligently. I don't know the extent of the warning or what they chose to disregard as noise, but that is presumably what an independent investigation would uncover (or not).
BTW, the OP didn't post anything derogatory about Bush. He stated that he wanted to see responsible parties (as in, those who didn't respond appropriately or quickly enough to the circumstances) be held accountable. I don't know why some posters felt the need to get all retarded with hyperbole to imply the OP was being unreasonable.