Islamist militias in Libya took control of nearly a dozen commercial jetliners last month, and western intelligence agencies recently issued a warning that the jets could be used in terrorist attacks across North Africa.
The state-owned Libyan Airlines fleet until this summer included 14 passenger and cargo jetliners, including seven Airbus 320s, one Airbus 330, two French ATR-42 turboprop aircraft, and four Bombardier CJR-900s. Libyan state-owned Afriqiyah Airways fleet is made up of 13 aircraft, including three Airbus 319s, seven Airbus 320s, two Airbus 330s, and one Airbus 340
The Airbus 320s have a range of about 3,300 nautical miles. They could make it to much of Europe without stopping for refueling. The smaller aircraft can strike most of the Middle East.
Among the potential targets are urban areas and economic targets, like Saudi Arabia’s oil fields.
“Anyone who has ever flown over Saudi Arabia at night can see refineries like Yanbu lit up like Christmas trees against the blackness of the desert,” Rubin said. “One Saudi security officer once told me that they would only have about 90 seconds to shoot down a hijacked plane from the time it left international airspace to impact in one of the region’s most important refineries"
And no nation has yet found a shred of evidence that MH370 actually crashed in the Indian Ocean.
17 comments:
Wanted, suicide pilot - no experience necessary.
Hold it - Rubin said that the Saudi oil field was lit up like a Christmas tree?
Doesn't sound kosher some how...
Not to worry. As with our embassy, the Libyans are merely safeguarding these planes so they don't fall into the wrong hands.
Except for the large cache of miniature liquor bottles, which have been taken to said embassy for the big pool party.
Preezy Whatmeworry sez you're all spending too much time on teh internets and should all just get back on the links.
Tripoli to Cardiff is 1325 nautical miles. I hope NATO has adequate defenses. And a quick trigger.
Perhaps the Libyan planes were stolen for old fashioned cash, but that is the best case scenario.
Sixty, These fuckers don't know how to take off, just crash. We got that going for us. You have to have a brain and skills to take off.
Could you imagine the mess shooting down an airliner would make over a heavily populated area like the suburbs of Paris? The pieces coming down would trash multiple city blocks.
The only thing worse than invading another country and going all fascist on them is invading another country and not going all fascist on them, leaving instead chaos.
Maybe they're gonna use the stolen planes as housing in Gaza.
Whatever could POSSIBLY go wrong?
Contrary to white house accounts, Obamas daily briefing has included ISIS threat assessment going back to last year.
Somebody is refusing to quietly lay down in front of Obama's bus.
Old Lockheed Constellations are used as restaurants.
These fuckers don't know how to take off...
Who do you think was flying the aircraft before they were stolen? And who flew them away after they were stolen?
Every mid east country has its own airline with modern aircraft. There are plenty of skilled pilots, and it isn't unreasonable to think that some of them might be jihadis, happily willing to undertake a suicide mission in order to earn their promised reward.
Well there you go - it's not as if they were hiring Israeli pilots to fly their planes.
The question then becomes one of how many of them are willing to die for their cause. Or how many of them can be forced, coerced, bribed or threatened into a suicide mission.
I am reminded of the last line of the '50s sci-fi movie "Keep watching the skies!"
Of course by the time you see the incoming plane it might be too late.
Where I live they might kill dozens of residents, most of whom are on the same side as the jihadis. Coexist, don't you know...
Comforting.
Why did we take out Kaddafi again? I do not recall any conversations or decades long discussions or permission given by the American people or congress to do such a thing?
Now super deadly vicious crazy lunatic psychopath has filled the void.
Yeah, but we elected him fair and square!
What if they fill one or more of these planes with prisoners, and take off for Europe.
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