NEVER FORGET: AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 11

By Michelle Malkin

The Vice President and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher are at Ground Zero. Moment of silence at 8:46 am to mark the crash of American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46:40am Eastern.

From the 9/11 Commission report:

The Hijacking of American 11

American Airlines Flight 11 provided nonstop service from Boston to Los Angeles. On September 11, Captain John Ogonowski and First Officer Thomas McGuinness piloted the Boeing 767. It carried its full capacity of nine flight attendants. Eighty-one passengers boarded the flight with them (including the five terrorists).22

The plane took off at 7:59. Just before 8:14, it had climbed to 26,000 feet, not quite its initial assigned cruising altitude of 29,000 feet. All communications and flight profile data were normal. About this time the "Fasten Seatbelt" sign would usually have been turned off and the flight attendants would have begun preparing for cabin service.23

At that same time, American 11 had its last routine communication with the ground when it acknowledged navigational instructions from the FAA's air traffic control (ATC) center in Boston. Sixteen seconds after that transmis-sion, ATC instructed the aircraft's pilots to climb to 35,000 feet. That message and all subsequent attempts to contact the flight were not acknowledged. From this and other evidence, we believe the hijacking began at 8:14 or shortly thereafter.24

Reports from two flight attendants in the coach cabin, Betty Ong and Madeline "Amy" Sweeney, tell us most of what we know about how the hijacking happened. As it began, some of the hijackers-most likely Wail al Shehri and Waleed al Shehri, who were seated in row 2 in first class-stabbed the two unarmed flight attendants who would have been preparing for cabin service.25

We do not know exactly how the hijackers gained access to the cockpit; FAA rules required that the doors remain closed and locked during flight. Ong speculated that they had "jammed their way" in. Perhaps the terrorists stabbed the flight attendants to get a cockpit key, to force one of them to open the cockpit door, or to lure the captain or first officer out of the cockpit. Or the flight attendants may just have been in their way.26

At the same time or shortly thereafter, Atta-the only terrorist on board trained to fly a jet-would have moved to the cockpit from his business-class seat, possibly accompanied by Omari. As this was happening, passenger Daniel Lewin, who was seated in the row just behind Atta and Omari, was stabbed by one of the hijackers-probably Satam al Suqami, who was seated directly behind Lewin. Lewin had served four years as an officer in the Israeli military. He may have made an attempt to stop the hijackers in front of him, not realizing that another was sitting behind him.27

The hijackers quickly gained control and sprayed Mace, pepper spray, or some other irritant in the first-class cabin, in order to force the passengers and flight attendants toward the rear of the plane.They claimed they had a bomb.28

About five minutes after the hijacking began, Betty Ong contacted the American Airlines Southeastern Reservations Office in Cary, North Carolina, via an AT&T airphone to report an emergency aboard the flight. This was the first of several occasions on 9/11 when flight attendants took action outside the scope of their training, which emphasized that in a hijacking, they were to communicate with the cockpit crew. The emergency call lasted approximately 25 minutes, as Ong calmly and professionally relayed information about events taking place aboard the airplane to authorities on the ground.29

At 8:19, Ong reported: "The cockpit is not answering, somebody's stabbed in business class-and I think there's Mace-that we can't breathe-I don't know, I think we're getting hijacked." She then told of the stabbings of the two flight attendants.30

At 8:21, one of the American employees receiving Ong's call in North Carolina, Nydia Gonzalez, alerted the American Airlines operations center in Fort Worth, Texas, reaching Craig Marquis, the manager on duty. Marquis soon realized this was an emergency and instructed the airline's dispatcher responsible for the flight to contact the cockpit. At 8:23, the dispatcher tried unsuccessfully to contact the aircraft. Six minutes later, the air traffic control specialist in American's operations center contacted the FAA's Boston Air Traffic Control Center about the flight. The center was already aware of the problem.31

Boston Center knew of a problem on the flight in part because just before 8:25 the hijackers had attempted to communicate with the passengers. The microphone was keyed, and immediately one of the hijackers said, "Nobody move. Everything will be okay. If you try to make any moves, you'll endanger yourself and the airplane. Just stay quiet." Air traffic controllers heard the transmission; Ong did not. The hijackers probably did not know how to operate the cockpit radio communication system correctly, and thus inadvertently broadcast their message over the air traffic control channel instead of the cabin public-address channel. Also at 8:25, and again at 8:29, Amy Sweeney got through to the American Flight Services Office in Boston but was cut off after she reported someone was hurt aboard the flight. Three minutes later, Sweeney was reconnected to the office and began relaying updates to the manager, Michael Woodward.32

At 8:26, Ong reported that the plane was "flying erratically." A minute later, Flight 11 turned south. American also began getting identifications of the hijackers, as Ong and then Sweeney passed on some of the seat numbers of those who had gained unauthorized access to the cockpit.33

Sweeney calmly reported on her line that the plane had been hijacked; a man in first class had his throat slashed; two flight attendants had been stabbed-one was seriously hurt and was on oxygen while the other's wounds seemed minor; a doctor had been requested; the flight attendants were unable to contact the cockpit; and there was a bomb in the cockpit. Sweeney told Woodward that she and Ong were trying to relay as much information as they could to people on the ground.34

At 8:38, Ong told Gonzalez that the plane was flying erratically again. Around this time Sweeney told Woodward that the hijackers were Middle Easterners, naming three of their seat numbers. One spoke very little English and one spoke excellent English. The hijackers had gained entry to the cockpit, and she did not know how. The aircraft was in a rapid descent.35

At 8:41, Sweeney told Woodward that passengers in coach were under the impression that there was a routine medical emergency in first class. Other flight attendants were busy at duties such as getting medical supplies while Ong and Sweeney were reporting the events.36

At 8:41, in American's operations center, a colleague told Marquis that the air traffic controllers declared Flight 11 a hijacking and "think he's [American 11] headed toward Kennedy [airport in New York City].They're moving everybody out of the way. They seem to have him on a primary radar. They seem to think that he is descending."37

At 8:44, Gonzalez reported losing phone contact with Ong. About this same time Sweeney reported to Woodward," Something is wrong. We are in a rapid descent . . . we are all over the place." Woodward asked Sweeney to look out the window to see if she could determine where they were. Sweeney responded: "We are flying low. We are flying very, very low. We are flying way too low." Seconds later she said, "Oh my God we are way too low." The phone call ended.38

At 8:46:40, American 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.39 All on board, along with an unknown number of people in the tower, were killed instantly.

Crew:

* Barbara Arestegui, 38, Marstons Mills, Mass., flight attendant
* Jeffrey Collman, 41, Novato, Calif., flight attendant
* Sara Low, 28, Batesville, Ark., flight attendant
* Karen Martin, 40, Danvers, Mass., flight attendant
* Thomas McGuinness, 42, Portsmouth, N.H., first officer
* Kathleen Nicosia, flight attendant
* John Ogonowski, 52, Dracut, Mass., captain
* Betty Ong, 45, Andover, Mass., flight attendant
* Jean Roger, 24, Longmeadow, Mass., flight attendant
* Dianne Snyder, 42, Westport, Mass., flight attendant
* Madeline Sweeney, 35, Acton, Mass., flight attendant

Passengers:

* Anna Williams Allison, 48, Stoneham, Mass., founder, A2 Software Solutions
* David Angell, 54, Pasadena, Calif., executive producer, NBC's ''Frasier''
* Lynn Angell, Pasadena, Calif.
* Seima Aoyama
* Myra Aronson, 52, Charlestown, Mass., press and analyst relations manager
* Christine Barbuto, 32, Brookline, Mass., TJX Co.
* Carolyn Beug, 48, Los Angeles, Calif.
* Kelly Booms, 24, Boston, Mass., PricewaterhouseCoopers
* Carol Bouchard, 43, Warwick, R.I., emergency room secretary, Kent County Hospital
* Neilie Casey, 32, Wellesley, Mass., TJX Co.
* Jeffrey Coombs, 42, Abington, Mass., security analyst, Compaq
* Tara Creamer, 30, Worcester, Mass.
* Thelma Cuccinello, 71, Wilmot, N.H.
* Patrick Currivan
* Brian Dale, 43, Warren, N.J.
* David DiMeglio, Wakefield, Mass.
* Donald Ditullio, 49, Peabody, Mass., Smith and Nephew
* Albert Dominguez, 65, Sydney, Australia
* Alex Filipov, 70, Concord, Mass., electrical engineer
* Carol Flyzik, 40, Plaistow, N.H.
* Paul Friedman
* Karleton D.B. Fyfe, 31, Brookline, Mass., John Hancock
* Peter Gay, 54, Tewksbury, Mass., plant manager, Raytheon Co.
* Linda George, 27, Westboro, Mass., TJX Co.
* Edmund Glazer, 41, Los Angeles, Calif., chief financial officer, MRV Communications
* Lisa Fenn Gordenstein, 41, Needham, Mass., TJX Co.
* Andrew Curry Green, 34, Los Angeles, Calif., director of business development, eLogic
* Paige Farley Hackel, 46, Newton, Mass., spiritual counselor
* Peter Hashem, 40, Tewksbury, Mass., salesman
* Robert Hayes, 37, Amesbury, Mass., sales engineer, Netstal
* Ted Hennessey, 35, Belmont, Mass., consultant
* John Hofer
* Cora Holland, 52, Sudbury, Mass., Sudbury Food Pantry at Our Lady of Fatima Church
* Nicholas Humber, 60, Newton, Mass., owner, Brae Burn Management
* John Jenkins, 45, Cambridge, Mass., corporate office services manager, Charles River Associates
* Charles Jones, 48, Bedford, Mass., computer programmer
* Robin Kaplan, 33, Westboro, Mass., TJX Co.
* Barbara Keating, 72, Palm Springs, Calif.
* David Kovalcin, 42, Hudson, N.H.
* Judy Larocque, 50, Framingham, Mass., founder and CEO, Market Perspectives
* N. Janis Lasden, 46, Peabody, Mass., General Electric
* Daniel John Lee, 34, Los Angeles, Calif.
* Daniel C. Lewin, 31, co-founder, Akamai Technologies
* Susan MacKay, 44, Westford, Mass., TJX Co.
* Chris Mello, 25, Boston, Mass., analyst
* Jeff Mladenik, 43, Hinsdale, Ill., interim president, E-Logic
* Antonio Montoya, 46, East Boston, Mass., housekeeping worker, Boston Harbor Hotel
* Carlos Montoya
* Laura Lee Morabito, 34, Framingham, Mass., national sales manager, Qantas Airways
* Mildred Naiman, Andover, Mass.
* Laurie Neira
* Renee Newell, 37, Cranston, R.I., customer service agent, American Airlines
* Jacqueline Norton, 60, Lubec, Maine, retiree
* Robert Norton, 82, Lubec, Maine, retiree
* Jane Orth, 49, Haverhill, Mass., retiree, Lucent Technologies
* Thomas Pecorelli, 31, Los Angeles, Calif., cameraman, Fox Sports and E! Entertainment Television
* Berry Berenson Perkins, 53, Wellfleet, Mass., actress and photographer
* Sonia Morales Puopolo, 58, Dover, Mass., former ballet dancer
* David Retik, Needham, Mass.
* Philip Rosenzweig, Acton, Mass., executive, Sun Microsystems
* Richard Ross, 58, Newton, Mass., Ross Group
* Jessica Sachs, 22, Billerica, Mass., accountant, PricewaterhouseCoopers
* Rahma Salie, 28, Boston, Mass.
* Heather Smith, 30, Boston, Mass., Beacon Capital Partners
* Douglas Stone, 54, Dover, N.H.
* Xavier Suarez
* Michael Theodoridis, 32, Boston, Mass., consultant
* James Trentini, 65, Everett, Mass., retired teacher and assistant principal
* Mary Trentini, 67, Everett, Mass., retired secretary
* Pendyala Vamsikrishna, 30, Los Angeles, Calif., project manager for consulting firm, DTI
* Mary Wahlstrom, 75, Kaysville, Utah
* Kenneth Waldie, 46, Methuen, Mass., Raytheon Co.
* John Wenckus, 46, Torrance, Calif., tax consultant
* Candace Lee Williams, 20, Danbury, Conn., student
* Christopher Zarba, 47, Hopkinton, Mass., software engineer, Concord Communications

PHASE II 'ACCURACY' REPORT PROVES JOE WILSON A LIAR

The Senate Select Commitee on Intelligence Phase II reports may take some time to process, reading the source data rather than just relying on the conclusions, but I've found one interesting nugget already. In the WMD accuracy report, a significant passage demonstrates the falsity of one leftist talking point (page 16, emphases mine):

On February 4, 2003, the U.S. government provided copies of the Niger uranium documents to the IAEA with talking points which stated, "two streams of reporting suggest Iraq has attempted to acquire uranium from Niger. We cannot confirm these reports and have questions regarding specific claims. Nonetheless, we are concerned that these reports may indicate Baghdad has attempted to secure an unreported source of uranium yellowcake for a nuclear weapons program." The two streams of reporting refer to the intelligence reports from the foreign intelligence service and a CIA intelligence report reflecting the findings of a former Ambassador's visit to Niger.

This confirms what we read in the previous SSCI report: Joe Wilson told the CIA that Iraq had attempted to buy uranium from Niger, and the CIA included that data in its assessment of Iraqi nuclear-weapons development. It corroborated rather than contradicted CIA intel on Saddam's WMD ambitions. That flies in the face of Wilson's assertions since May 2003, when he apparently decided he needed to cover his ass after American troops came up empty on nukes.

In fact, when one reads pages 11-16, it becomes apparent that almost the entire American intelligence community believed that Saddam continued to pursue nukes right up until we invaded in March 2003 -- especially the CIA. They argued that the aluminum tubes had to be intended for a nuclear program and that no other explanation could be possible. The INR (State) and Department of Energy quibbled; the former believed that the intel could not provide a "compelling" case for reconstitution, while the latter believed that the case was compelling without the tubes, which it questioned. The CIA not only did not question the nature of the tubes, it provided a counteranalysis when the IAEA argued against their interpretation:

["]We judge that Iraq would use any suitable tubes rather than try to procure perfect ones." The paper reiterated the CIA's assessment that the tubes' special material, dimensions, precise manufacturing tolerances, high cost, and the involvement of senior Iraqi leaders indicated the tubes were most likely for gas centrifuges to enrich uranium.

Over and over again, the CIA and the rest of the American intelligence community told the Bush administration what it had told the Clinton administration -- that Saddam was busily reconstituting his nuclear-weapons programs. Even the INR judged that the evidence could have demonstrated a limited reconstitution effort. Joe Wilson's report fed into that narrative by showing that Iraq had actively sought sources for yellowcake uranium after the IAEA and UNSCOM had locked up their own supplies.

Rather than showing that Bush lied about the intel he was given, this shows that the White House relied on a broad consensus among military and civilian intelligence services to determine that Saddam Hussein was pursuing nukes. The only liar uncovered in the beginning of the Phase II report is Joe Wilson.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Viewer discretion is advised

By Michelle Malkin

TS at Seixon (hat tip: Allah) has helpfully crafted a TV slate for ABC to "insert into every scene the champions of free speech nutroots or poor Bill Clinton objects [to] (because, from the looks of this massive jihad they are waging , it appears ABC will be using this slate quite a bit):"

The way things are going, it looks like other networks should prepare similar slates for themselves.

Check out our related Vent today on Democrat Party dementia and 9-11 deniers.

What does ABC stand for? Marooned in Marin quips:

ABC Stands for "Altered By Clinton"

LETTER FROM ARI FLEISCHER TO JIMMY CARTER

The following is a letter from Ari Fleischer to former President Jimmy Carter relating to Carter’s interview with Der Spiegel:

August 21, 2006

The Honorable Jimmy Carter
The Carter Center
453 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 30307

Dear Mr. President:

I just read the transcript of your interview with the German magazine, Der Spiegel, in which you accuse Israel of launching an “unjustified attack on Lebanon.”

Even after the interviewer reminded you that Israel was the first to get attacked, you charged Israel with lacking “any legal or moral justification for their massive bombing of the entire nation of Lebanon.”

As someone who served in the White House as a spokesman for a President, I am reluctant to criticize another President, but in this instance my conscience compels me to do so.

Mr. President, your words are music to Hezbollah’s ears and your message is a blow to long-term peace.

Just as you underestimated the threat of the Soviet Union in the 1970s, you underestimate the threat of radical Islam today. Your condemnation of Israel, the victim, only encourages Hezbollah, the attacker, to bide its time and attack again.

Ahmed Barakat, a member of Hezbollah’s central council, last week told the Qatari newspaper as-Watan that “Today Arab and Muslim society is reasonably certain that the defeat of Israel is possible and that the countdown to the disappearance of the Zionist entity in the region has begun. The triumph of the resistance is the beginning of the death of the Israeli enemy.”

I was raised a Democrat but I changed parties in 1982 because I believed your policies and the nuclear freeze movement invited increased Soviet militarism and adventurism. President Reagan’s military build-up and credible threat of the use of force helped bring about the demise of Communism and brought freedom and a better life to hundreds of millions in Central and Eastern Europe. It also secured a lasting peace.

I’m sorry to see you articulate about Hezbollah and its aggression the same weak world-view that encouraged Soviet aggression. As Ronald Reagan showed us, peace through strength is the only formulation understood by those bent on destruction.

I understand your longing for peace and your fond hope that Hezbollah can be reasoned with. However, when you call Israel’s defense “an attack”, when you call what is justified “unjustified”, and when you call morality immoral, I conclude that the pro-defense, strong foreign policy lessons of the 70s and 80s remain unacceptable to you. Also, when you criticize Israel for targeting so-called “civilian” areas in Beirut and other areas where Hezbollah hides its operations, the result would be – if Israel listened to you – the creation of safe havens from which more violence and rocket attacks would be planned and launched.

Sadly, Hezbollah today is planning its next war. For the sake of peace, Israel deserves your praise, not your condemnation.

Sincerely,
L. Ari Fleischer

IT LOOKS LIKE ABC IS GOING TO CAVE

What drama!

ABC has a five-hour miniseries coming up titled "The Path to 9/11." The first episode airs this coming Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. This docu-drama is causing quite a stir in Washington ... and especially in the Clinton camp.

The problem, you see, is that in this movie the Clinton Administration is portrayed as treating Islamic terrorism as nothing more than a law enforcement problem. There is one scene in the move where Intelligence officials are discussing an attempt to kill or capture Osama bin Laden. The Clinton administration is refusing to authorize the action. Permission denied. The Clinton aide says that the problem is that Clinton views terrorism as largely a law enforcement problem. The intelligence official asks "How do you win a law and orderly war?" The aide responds "You don't."

You can sputter and spin all you want about President Bush and his handling of the war on Islamic fascism, you cannot deny that since 9/11 he has been dedicated to the cause of crushing Islamic terrorism over there before they bring it back over here. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Similarly -- there is no way in hell that any reasonable man can argue that the Clinton administration was dedicated to crushing Islamic terrorism. Clinton did indeed treat it like a law enforcement program. After the first Islamic terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 Clinton did not even bother to visit New York City to view the damage, talk to survivors and the families of those who lost their lives, or meet with NYC officials and first responders.

And what of the attack on the U.S. Cole? This was an attack on a U.S. Navy warship. Clinton was the Commander in Chief. The response? At best, lob a few cruise missiles. That's it. Nothing more.

So ... now the battle is joined. ABC has this miniseries ready to run. The producers say that it's largely based on the findings of the 9/11 Commission report as well as interviews with the people involved. Apparently the miniseries shows Clinton to be relatively unconcerned about terrorism, and not dedicated to the cause of bringing in bin Laden.

Will the Democrat pressure work? My guess is that it will, at least in part. ABC is already issuing statements to the effect that "The editing process is not yet complete." The Los Angeles Times is reporting that changes were made in the program this week after the Clintonistas started howling. Specifically targeted, according to the Times, was the scene where Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger declines to give an order to kill bin Laden.

By the way ... this really makes you wonder just what documents Sandy Berger stole from the National Archives, doesn't it?

Democrats sent a letter to Robert Iger, the President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, the owner of ABC. That letter contained this interesting paragraph:

"The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a trustee of the public airways in serving the public interest. Nowhere is this public interest obligation more apparent than in the duty of broadcasters to serve the civic needs of a democracy by promoting an open and accurate discussion of political ideas and events."

Now what is this paragraph really saying? Can you read between the lines? Here ... let me rewrite the paragraph by adding a few words. Perhaps it will be clearer to you.

"The Communications Act of 1934 provides your network with a free broadcast license predicated on the fundamental understanding of your principle obligation to act as a trustee of the public airways in serving the public interest. Nowhere is this public interest obligation more apparent than in the duty of broadcasters to serve the civic needs of a democracy by promoting an open and accurate discussion of political ideas and events. The licenses granted to the television stations you own and operate are not permanent. They are periodically subject to renewal. You may wish to remember this fact, and consider the probability that by the time those licenses come up for renewal the Democrats may be in control of both houses of Congress, and the wife of the man your miniseries defames may well be the President of the United States"

Get the message?

A NEW AL QAEDA VIDEO.....

By Michelle Malkin

So you think you can jihad?

...offers a timely reminder of the Saudi connection to 9/11 and urges Muslims to kill Americans in Iraq:

The Arab television channel Al-Jazeera broadcast a video which it said showed Osama bin Laden and suicide candidates of Al-Qaeda preparing the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States.

Al-Jazeera had said earlier it would broadcast "a video that included scenes showing for the first time Al-Qaeda leaders preparing the September 11 attacks and practicing for their execution."

The video showed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and two of the 19 Islamist militants that took part in the attacks, Saudi nationals Hamza el-Ramdi and Wael el-Shemari.

They spoke of the situation faced by Muslims in Bosnia and Chechnya.

Fifteen of the 19 attackers on September 11 were Saudis, and Al-Jazeera said it had only aired a few minutes of a document which it said lasted about an hour and a half.

The footage also showed hand-to-hand combat practice between people who wore masks over their heads.

The television station also broadcast a recording attributed to the head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, in which he said he was sure of victory against US-led forces in the country.

The recording was posted on an Islamist Internet site as well, but its authenticity could not be immediately established.

In the Internet statement, Muhajer also urged Sunni Muslims to kill at least one US citizen within the next two weeks.

"Oh followers of (Taliban leader) Mullah Mohammed Omar, oh sons of (Al-Qaeda leader) Osama bin Laden, oh disciples of (slain Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader) Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi ... I urge each of you to kill at least one American within a period not exceeding 15 days," Muhajer said.

But if you convert and surrender, you know, everything will be hunky-dory.

***

Stay tuned to Hot Air. Allah's got a mega-post and every breaking detail.

More background at Jawa Report and from Laura Mansfield.

There's also a new audio tape out from Zarqawi's successor in Iraq.