Plane Problems

[slimjim]

This may sound really, really cynical. But, why is it only European operators who are having their flights grounded by American intelligence. Funny how it doesn't seem to be affecting the American carriers. Could there be economic factors at work here?

[froggequene]

Personally, when I heard about these incidents over Christmas, I was absolutely disgusted and I couldn't believe that anyone was giving any credit to American intelligence reports given how dodgy they've proved in the past & how dodgy they proved to be over these flights any way. I thought it was just a not very subtle ploy on the Americans behalf to try and force European airlines to put Air Marshalls on flights, someone has been putting pressure on the European states to introduce these measures but so far pilots have responded by saying they won't fly if this happens. I don't see the point of having an armed peace keeper on board a transatlantic flight, it just mean there's one more idiot with a gun on board on a plane.

[lisaj]

absolutely! ... and one day the US will realise that having guns for protection is ridiculous - it just gives criminals easy access to guns!! Likewise, putting guns for protection on a plane... surprise surprise... just puts a gun onto a plane. No guns would mean nobody had guns, and if you wanted to kill someone you'd have to be prepared to do it the proper way: the bloody way, rather than the comparative ease of pulling a trigger!

[lisaj]

Oh, and re: economic factors (realised I forgot that bit).... just look at steel :-)

[KEJ2000]

It IS really, really cynical !!!

[sft42]

Not cynical in the least.....we helped the US justify bombing another country for their own selfish ends (ie oil this time) by joining in and now we have outlived our usefulness till the next time.......How many countries planes were involved in the attacks on 11th day of the ninth month??? One only and that was the country with the most relaxed attitude to guns anywhere in the world....and anyways it was stanley knifes that were used on those planes not guns....any good security check would have caught this. I wounder how the US would take it if we started saying that US planes couldn't land here because we think that just maybe possibly there is a vague hint that someone could do something wrong on one of their planes.....which are nearly all built by the US company Boeing who could solve all these problems by fitting terrorist proof doors leading to the cockpit on their planes...but hey that wouldn't be economic now would it!

[pezza.......]

There may have been the aircraft of only one country on 9/11, but lets not forget that there were citizens of many countries on those flights. I think it is narrow minded to say that money is a driving factor in these flight cancellations. Who would you blame if these flights werent cancelled and one of them was involved in another terrorist act? I personally would prefer security to be tight and to be delayed by an hour or so rather than security be lax and hundreds of people dead! You are entitled to your own opinion but I really think risks exist that need to be considered.

[pezza.......]

And as for armed sky marshalls. I would feel safer if I knew there was a possibility of one being on my flight.

[lisaj]

pezza - you're right mate: risks exist... but by definition, terrorists aim to spread terror with a view to put their cause into the forefront of peoples' minds. Bottomline, mission accomplished.

The US and it's citizens have changed almost every aspect of their daily lives and are quite literally petrified of another attack despite their ever-so-brave and patriotic displays to the rest of the world. Meanwhile all we ever hear about is terror, terror, terror. Why attack them again when the terrorist's aims have been so brilliantly achieved?