Steve was heard muttering to Paul Nixon 
 about Terror 
 SG> Of course we have defenses, I didn't say otherwise. But pointed
 SG> *towards* the mainland?
 They aren't pointed until a threat is perceived.
 SG> And Mohan never said they were actually within the MOA (whatever that 
 SG> is), just that they were about a mile outside it. If they include a 
 True...
 SG> reasonable safety margin in defining this region, that means the
 SG> flight  was well out of any danger that may present.
 
 A mile is reasonable...if whoever is in charge of making the decision
 to engage a target is reasonable, competent, and well trained.  And
 doesn't make a mistake.
 SG> No, I can't see any way that it would be accidental involving a
 SG> missile  and they wouldn't tell us. I can see that some terrorists
 SG> might have used  a missile (not a Stinger, but some other kind), and
 SG> they're still looking  into that possibility.
 
 The Stinger would have been at its extreme effective range, as I
 understand it.  Which doesn't leave out the possibility that it was a
 missile of greater effective range than the stinger.
 As for your trust in the government I learned first-hand by witnessing
 its actions that it doesn't always tell us the truth, so:
 PN> You do have more trust in our government and its minions than I .
 SG> Not exactly. Based on prior examples, I have less belief in their
 SG> ability  to conceal things. 
 Okay, that's valid, imo.
 And of course it has to be conceded here that we _are_ off into the
 realm of speculation -- 'way into that realm.
 However it appears to me to be the working premise of the press and the
 investigators, at least the ones being quoted and holding press
 conferences, that a terrorist bomb on board is the working hypothosis.
 I had, from reading and hearing about other investigations, thought
 the agencies that investigated airline crashes tended to stick closer
 to the scientific method.  With, perhaps, a slight bias towards wanting
 to see most crashes the result of pilot error.
 Anyway, between the extreme degree of speculation and the distance
 we've (I've) managed to wander off topic we should mebbe close down
 this thread.
--- FMail 1.02
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