Aero-Analysis: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Columnist Wants ADIZ
Transgressors Shot-Down
One surmises that the GA world should be thankful that only two
fairly visible pundits have spoken up publicly about a perceived
need to kill pilots who blunder into the Washington ADIZ. While
this does not speak well for the gene pool associated with some
pundits and columnists, both cases were shown to be short on
supportable fact, often riddled with error, and long on myopic,
hysterical chest-thumping.
In the latest case, Columnist
Dimitri Vassilaros leads his latest bit of literary
fearmongering with the opening line, "The Cessna 150 should have
been shot down."
Judge, Jury, Executioner... and Court Jester
Mind you, the aircraft was indeed lost and operating errantly
within minutes of the Nation's Capital... but it was none-the-less
escorted by a number of powerful aircraft with a lot of
firepower -- and seconds away from a Top Secret (barely) line of
deadly defenses that certainly would have kept the slow-moving
Cessna from reaching the White House, or other prime targets... if
that had been the mission of this poorly navigated two seat
puddle-jumper.
A lot has been made of
the so-called threat of GA birds to various postulated targets of
opportunity, even though physics suggests that light aircraft are,
at best, a poor and far-too-limited delivery system for the kind of
attacks favored by attention seeking terrorists who are looking for
large body counts and maximal media exposure/hysteria.
Surprisingly, despite Vassilaros' wish to kill GA pilots and
passengers, portions of his column actually refute his
arguments with a passage/quote that states, "'These guys were
flat-out idiots,' said James Jay Carafano, senior fellow in
international studies at The Heritage Foundation think tank. 'A
reputable terrorist would not do something like this.'
Carafano believes even with a so-called dirty bomb, or biological
or chemical weapons, damage would have minimal."
While ANN is not aware of what qualifies as a "reputable
terrorist" these days, Vassilaros' argument grows weaker as the
column progresses, with yet another barely supportive quote,
"'It's a tough one,' said Michael O'Hanlon, senior fellow at
the Brookings Institution. 'I do not have a real strong view. It
was unlikely to pose major threat, but it still could not be ruled
out. We cannot be evacuating buildings all the time. A release of
chemicals could have killed a lot of people.'"
Once again, a weak and easily countered opinion is used to
support a faltering argument. The final caveat, though, is
bizarre... citing the September 1994 incident in which a Cessna
flown by Frank Eugene Corder (in yet another Cessna 150...)
impacted at the base of the White House, intentionally. In this
case, like the '02 Charles Bishop/Tampa building crash, the damage
to structures and property was minimal and the very limited nature
of such aircraft (as weapons systems) was
visibly demonstrated. GA's main defense revolves around
the FACT that it's not that we think that light aircraft
are not much good for doing serious damage as weapons of mass
destruction, it's that the evidence proves it...
repeatedly.
Mind you, anything can
be rigged as a weapon... but if you really want to target a
structure in a busy city, ground vehicles (among others) make for
much better weapons -- and don't get us started on what could
happen with one single person and a briefcase nuke. The fact is
this, we live in a dangerous world... which we can either face
with courage... or fear.
The sad part of arguments espoused by the aero-ignorant pundits
of the world, like Vassilaros, is that they accomplish three very
dangerous things that, ultimately, support the aims of our
enemies:
- They detract attention from far more serious threats,
- They ratchet up the level of public paranoia,
- And they further attack the freedoms and liberties that have
made this country a bastion of freedom around the world and the
target of those who would despise us for same...
In the meantime, one can drive a multi-ton delivery truck within
yards of the White House gate and park right across the street from
any number of important targets of opportunity -- but apparently
the 'littlest Cessna' makes for much better ink for those who are
looking for yet another cheap shot against those who
celebrate the very nature of the freedoms this country was
built upon.