National Security
Air Force One Manhattan Flyover Pictures Released
One of the 146 images released by the Air Force of the late April flight taken by Air Force One over Manhattan (Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force)
By Ed O'Keefe
Responding to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by other news organizations, the Air Force released Friday 146 images from April's ill-fated Air Force One flyover of Manhattan.
The incident involved a Boeing 747 jet used to transport President Obama and two accompanying Air Force fighter jets that circled Lower Manhattan, near where two commercial airliners struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The site of low-flying planes in the vicinity sparked a citywide panic and angry reactions from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other New York officials.
The White House later apologized, as did Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, who approved the flyover.
"While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused," Caldera said in a statement.
Days later, Caldera resigned.
The Air Force also released reams of e-mails, memos and other supporting documents related to the incident, including news articles recounting the outrage expressed by lawmakers and New York City officials and images of the approved flight plans.
Posted at 4:25 PM ET on Jul 31, 2009
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Get This Widget >>
Add all Obama's "mistakes" up since he took office, and it's no wonder the president's numbers are seriously slipping just six months into his term. Americans have a low tolerance for baloney, and right now Washington is grinding it out overtime.
Posted by: mock1ngb1rd | August 1, 2009 11:59 PM
SOMETHING STILL VERY FISHY AND TROUBLING ABOUT THIS FLIGHT...
• Mainstream media's short attention span abets a possible cover-up?
If the inner circle at the White House was not aware of this mission, just what was the Air Force up to? Why was the flight log so heavily redacted?
Doesn't the Secret Service have 24/7 knowledge of the missions of these presidential aircraft, and their whereabouts? Why didn't POTUS' security detail alert his closest aides?
And if they did, why did POTUS say the inner circle was unaware of the mission?
Mr. Caldera, the first Hispanic to serve as Army secretary -- was he set up as a sacrificial lamb to cover up an ulterior reason for this "terror buzzing" of an already traumatized metropolis?
If President Obama does not insist upon full accountability for this bizarre and disturbing mission, he risks becoming the unwitting pawn of those who would allow such sadistic chicanery to occur.
http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigilante-network-terrorizes-america
OR (if link is buzzed):
http://NowPublic.com/scrivener RE: "GESTAPO USA"
Posted by: scrivener50 | August 1, 2009 3:52 PM
old news, what's next? mustard?
Posted by: JRM2 | July 31, 2009 8:16 PM
Interesting that conservatives still are upset. Maybe you need to reach for a higher calling in life than discomfiting liberals.
Posted by: nodebris | July 31, 2009 7:56 PM
FYI "images of the approved flight plans" are 116 MB file. Interesting how this gets dumped on a Friday afternoon and no liberals are upset about that anymore.
Posted by: JakeD | July 31, 2009 6:20 PM
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