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Two Israeli fighter aircraft threatened to shoot down a private jet transporting Tony Blair after coming under the misapprehension that the aircraft was staging a potential terrorist attack.
Blair…was en route to Israel from a World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting at Sharm el Sheikh, in Egypt, on Wednesday morning when the warplanes were scrambled to intercept the jet.
It was only after the warplanes were positioned in attack mode that the aircraft’s crew made contact, informing air traffic control that Blair was on the flight.
New systems have apparently been set up in the past few months to identify suspicious aircraft and Israeli forces have been on heightened alert for threats after Hamas knocked down a wall on the Egyptian border five months ago.
Protecting walls from being breached is a perfectly good reason to threaten to shoot down civilian aircraft – if you’re the Israeli government.
This makes no sense at all. Flight plans are filed, approved, and monitored. Aircraft fly into Israel along specified routes. Airplanes are in radio contact with ground control with transponders electronically identifying the aircraft.
I can totally believe some fighter went up and shadowed the aircraft for extra protection or as a drill.
Story is bogus.
Rabin got in the way of war, look what happened to him.
#1 – Didn’t click the link, eh?
Goes to show you what benefits travel and shopping will give you
Perhaps they practicing what really to do to Hamas
How much can a person or a country take ?
Its not wise to pole a tiger in a cage with a big stick
Unfortunately the culture of Hamas is one of strongman and despots – very advanced and vibrant culture
Wow, a win-win for leftists. You get to bash Israel which for some reason is the only country not allowed to defend itself, and if they had shot down the plane, you celebrate no more Blair, and also bash Israel even more!
#3–keano==no I didn’t but on your advice, I did. Nothing new, just a slight more emphasis on the Israeli Air Control really didn’t know about the aircraft.
“STILL”–I assume there was a filed and approved flight plan and for some reason initial radio contact with Israel Ground Control was not made–wrong frequency, bad radio, blind spot==whatever.
“STILL”–pretty common to send up fighters to surveil–its good practice etc.
I very much doubt the civilian aircraft would be shot down==media love to hype, so I still call bogus with a slight modification==overblown.
Lying Mike==what liberal pundit says Israel shouldn’t defend itself? I thought most such idiots were right wing “end of days” religious nuts. Did the label slip off this particular list of yours?
Perhaps your not seeing the reason behind releasing a story like this.
What is it they want us to know, and what is it they don’t want us to know?
My guess is they are telling an “interested” party that something is new, perhaps policy, radar, technology, etc, they better think twice about something.
I don’t believe this happened either, agree 100% with #1.
bobbo,
Do you think it’s possible that Tony was being sent a message by Israeli extremists?
From the article:
How could could he not know?
>According to the report in the Times, the >former prime minister was unaware of the >situation.
Help the Palestinian economy
>Blair was travelling with other delegates from >the WEF, who were among 2,000 people heading >for the Palestinian city of Bethlehem to >attend a major conference on private >investment which was hoping to attract up to >£1bn for the Palestinian economy.
Just a random thought.
We all have to remember that Israel is a small country. It is at most 60 miles wide and 240 miles long. An airplane traveling at 350 MPH could travel across Israel in about 15 minutes and top to bottom in about 40.
The situation was: “Blair…was en route to Israel from a World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting at Sharm el Sheikh, in Egypt”.
Remember that it was the Arabs that perfected using airplanes as missiles, and I’ll bet that Israel doesn’t get too many private planes arriving from Egypt.
In a nutshell. Plane coming from Egypt, Minuscule response time, increasingly hostile neighbors.
Bobbo, there are numerous such posts on this board. People complained about the fence they built, and her response to Hezbollah rocket attacks. Basically, the left feels Israel should be wiped off the map.
bobbo said
This makes no sense at all. Flight plans are filed, approved, and monitored. Aircraft fly into Israel along specified routes. Airplanes are in radio contact with ground control with transponders electronically identifying the aircraft.
Two words… USS Liberty.
bobbo – I am surprised about your absence of (usually) knowledgeable comments about flying. Steering clear of certain categories of airspace and flying below 10,000 feet, you’re not even required to check in with ATC.
Beaucoup private flights do not file flight plans, either. They ain’t required to. And this was a private flight.
Now, I don’t doubt Blair was in something snazzy enough (and new enough) to have a transponder; but, it was after all a pretty short hop. Maybe his Homeland Insecurity dingbats didn’t wish to advertise when he was going where?
MikeN – you may now resume kneeling before the Knesset.
after so many atrocities against Palestinians, Lebanese and other Arab states, Israel is still as scared sh*tless as before. Even after getting all the weapons from his dad USA to his illegitimate son Israel, they still get hit where it really hurts.
Israel and USA, both are even scared of their own shadows. Like father, like son.
As much as I dislike how Tony Blair became Bush’s bitch, he is a very respectable person and this would have been a huge tragedy.
I am always in awe of the Israeli military. It’s also a great country and a great people.
[edit: comments guide]
Wow we now have two members of Hamas visitng this blog, Motaman and zorkor…
It would be totally irresponsible for any responsible carrier to take off without a flight plan filed and approved from takeoff to landing. The fact that it is legal to do so is not relevant.
I can’t think of a more important/appropriate time to have prior clearance than when flying an international leader.
I have flown into Tel Aviv 3 times all with flight plans. I got “escorted” once. I didn’t like it. Armed aircraft on either side of me. At the time, you could not fly from arab countries directly into Israel==had to go thru Sicily so they could track you inbound to their satisfaction.
So–anything other than a “standard” flightplan would be irresponsible and any pilot would file one unless ordered not to. After that, again, the key is fighters get sent up for a variety of reasons with a common perception they are only sent up to attack someone–isn’t true.
Mike–I agree many liberal don’t like the walls going up (I’m a liberal and I think wall make good neighbors). I think most liberals want a two state solution==so Israel not to be wiped out.
I like our two Arab posters–just wish they would engage a discussion rather than post and flee===I guess that terrorist training goes deep?
Totally irresponsible, bobbo? I would agree if I was the pilot or, more likely, one of the real pilots in my family.
But, reality is that dozens if not hundreds of private pilots don’t file flight plans – every day, here in the US and abroad. Please don’t presume that your lofty standards apply to the whole realm outside airlines. And don’t imply to our fellow readers and commenters that something is a law – when it isn’t even a uniform practice.
#19–Moss==well you are right. I am putting “myself” into this situation==but its not so “lofty” to think anyone flying Tony Blair around would have the same standards. I don’t know the current security concerns but I would think anyone flying crossboarder into Israel would file a flight plan==and thats assuming its not a REQUIREMENT to do so.
Heres what I think happened==there was a flight plan, at the switch-over from Egypt to Israeli air control there was loss of contact==bad radio, wrong frequency, blind spot, someone telling a good story and pilot forgot to switch over==whatever and so Israel sent up the jets to cover the aircraft incase it was in trouble or had been hijacked or whatever. NO WAY would the craft be shot down as long as it stuck to normal flight perameters.
Now, I can also imagine people in credible positions saying even wht was quoted in the article==but that doesen’t cover the fact that shoot downs of civilian aircraft almost never happen==because it would be stupid to do so.
So–if white comes up 99.99999 of the time, how unreasonable is it for me to bet on white?
PS–I recommend everyone take one flight lesson and one scuba lesson. Excellent exposure to the world we are in and yourself in relationship to it. After that, if any interest remains–pursue it as time/money permits. Also good to learn how to read.
Such elitism, bobbo. That last sentence.
You’re discriminating against half our graduating high school seniors.
#21–Moss==not at all. Maybe a stretch goal? I was going to say a foreign language, but I backed it off a notch.
Just a god damned idealist, it kills my hethen athiest heart to see children suffer no matter which side.
Bottom line, if my Southern California paradise was occupied by assholes in tanks and my family was herded into south central I’d be throwing rocks too. What would your reaction be if your land was taken, your child dies because a 10 minute drive to the hospital becomes a 4 hour waith at a chechpoint, maybe some of your other family dies from chemical gas attack.
The Israeli territories were stolen from palestine so that Zionists could have their battle of armageddon and the antichrist ascends his throne in jerusalem. Israel is the agressor with their tanks, jets, chemical/biological/nuclear WMDs while the palestinians are left to guerilla warfare to defend against the daily incursions.
#23–Motoman==I would NEVER throw rocks. What are you?—stupid? You can get hurt throwing rocks. NEVER put your life at risk for mere symbolic useless kneejerk reactions.
What would my reaction be? I hope it would be to recognize I had just been fucked by history and then rapidly take the best course of action available to me. Probably something like putting my tail between my legs and finding out what my enemy wanted from me and then finding a way to give it to them. If I were more long term in my thinking, I might try to figure out “now that my generation has lost, whats best for my children” and find a way to make their futures secure.
Stuff like that.
Thanks bud,
I am a bit too old for throwing rocks, when you’re fucked, your’re fucked.
#25–Motoman==too old? then why all the hostility of youth? You sound like a bad roll model for your next generation.
Failure–dwell on the past.
Success–maximize your future.
OK – I’ve been refusing to grow up, maybe I never will. Yes throwing rocks at tanks is silly at best, maybe rockets would be more my speed… [sarcasm implied, I think]
You got me thinking now, why am I so hostile, I don’t even know any Arabs, or Jews… I have such a good life, maybe I feel guilty.
Fucktards like Ethanol (#17) impede critical thinking, the terrorists have won when you can’t express dismay for the killing of women and children in an illegal occupation without being called a Hamas terrorist.
Perhaps I should turn on fox news and not discuss anything controversial, maybe I’ll become a fucking evangelical Christian and donate money to Pat Robertson – Oh yeah, we should use “nucular” weapons on Iraq because baby jesus needs oil… [definite sarcasm]
Maybe the Bong will mellow me out!
#27–Motaman==you crack me up. YES==verbalizing your issues/concerns/attitudes is a very healthy thing to do. EXPRESS YOURSELF. Then, think about it. You know, shit happens in everybody’s life. But so does good things. If you focus on the shit, you enter a downward spiral. You have to focus on the good things===NOT BECAUSE the bad things did not happen or are not real, but because the future is forward looking.
Lets see, dare I look at Ethanol #17==sure, why not.===========well, admit it, you have posted anti-Isareli entries, so it is too easy to say what Ethanol did==most people would. So–yes, you are whatever Ethanol might mean, but you are more than that AND whatever you are, everyday you wake up, you choose to be who you are, what you want, what you will strive to achieve.
So, who do I want to be today?==trapped in the past, or living for the future? Nothing wrong with being anti-Israeli, just recognize all people are caught up in “bigger” issues, and give people a break for not being super-heroes? I must apologize, I’m sounding much more anti-Israeli than I am. I do believe all people are the same==and that means all people get caught up in political/religious movements that decrease their humanity.
When you feel yourself caught up in “a movement”==back off and recognize your humanity. I’m blabbing too much.
Life offers us the opportunity to overcome its adversities. Few of us manage to do that and we devolve into zealots of various stripes. I say, its most likely you’ll get screwed no matter what you do. Better to be screwed TRYING to do the right thing, than the wrong thing. In the end, its an amoral, meaningless universe. So, its up to US to give it meaning.
>>I’m blabbing too much.
That has not gone unnoticed.
Hey Mustard—an hour ago I switched from beer to wine. Carlo Rossie Burgundy is an unrecognized ambrosia. I like to put it in Robert Mondavi bottles and note how the effites can’t tell the difference. Good thing I’m at home, cause I couldn’t drive there.
What’s your excuse?