It's Not a Crime, or Even Terrorism; It's Our Own Military

The Associated Press, in the person of reporter Matt Kelley, brought us the close-up story: our own military practices, over a hundred times a year, the shooting down of a civilian airliner.

Although Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, head of U.S. Northern Command, said Thursday the protocols for killing hundreds of innocent civilians because the flight crew wasn't armed, and because the Air Marshals were directed to stay off the long-haul flights were classified, he also said they were "strong." In other words, "someone can't just get on the radio and say, 'This is the President. I order you to shoot down that plane,'" Eberhart told Kelley.

Eberhart, with his four stars adorning his uniform, is worried that his pilots may not shoot when ordered: "I'm more worried that they would be 'trigger-hesitant' than 'trigger-happy.' We have long discussions with people to see if they're ready to do this," he said. He screens carefully, he said, to make sure that no one will ever question orders; he's going to give the triggers only to those who will obey immediately and without question.

[I'm taking the train... --ed.]

FMI: www.northcom.mil; www.af.mil/bios/bio_5317.shtml