It seems like a pretty reasonable plan to me at first glance. Attach the bomb right near the lock mechanism. Seems like you would have a good chance of having it work out for you.

Not a bomb expert though.

Surely terrorist with their feet blown off would be rather simple to overpower?

I keed, I keed...

Yet Richard Reid was going to bring down the entire plane with his bomb.

Seemed funny to me too

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Yet Richard Reid was going to bring down the entire plane with his bomb.

Richard Reid was a freaking idiot. The terrorists in the Liberty Tower plot might be, too.

But I don't see what's hard to believe about the plan, really. It would certainly be possible to blow the door open, and it could probably be done without much excess damage, depending on the skill of the terrorist.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

Richard Ried's shoe bomb indeed would have taken down that plane (they tested the same amt. of C2 on an old fuselage). Bush should make up his mind, were they going to just destroy the plane or crash it into the tower?

Thank Christ it didn't happen though.

The President says the terrorists wanted to breach the cockpit door with a shoe bomb.


It would never have worked. Post 9/11, they would have had to take their shoes off at the screening booth, and there's no way they could have gotten through that tough security.

We have the new amalgamated, streamlined and efficient Department of Homeland Security on our side. The terrorists have no chance.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

You couch your response with:

- this seems reasonable

- at first glance

- but I am not an expert

How much stock should I put in your response?

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iambigkahunatony.com

fwiw, the tower was named Library Tower. The President misspoke. I included this misnomer in the intial response.

The msnomer has been widely reported.

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iambigkahunatony.com

More stock than I put in your question, which seems to be morphing by the minute.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

You mean like your misnomer below:

"The msnomer has been widely reported. "

I mean, if we're just talking about fwiw.

The President says the terrorists wanted to breach the cockpit door with a shoe bomb.

Wouldn't this hurt the plane, make it inoperable? No, not necessarily.

Were they going to take off their shoes? Presumably, or they were going to remove the explosive from their shoes first. Who cares?

Why is the President disclosing this now? As an attempt to demonstrate that AQ is still actively working to hurt us, and that the government is effectively responding to that threat. Also, possibly, as a sideways defense of the NSA wiretapping program, though the admin denies that.

Did they use nsa taps to foil the plan? Not getting that from the administration's statements.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

"How much stock should I put in your response?"

It is worth every penny you paid for it.

I find it remarkable that terrorists wuld be able to construct a bomb that:

- could fit in a shoe

- could breach a door

- not damage the plane

This is plausible?

You don't have to respond to the question regarding if they would take off their shoes because it was a joke.

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iambigkahunatony.com

Anyone who has worked in a prison, knows there are many ways of getting things by security. Using shoes isn't a very good way. If drugs can get by prison security, then I don't see it being that hard to get small amounts of explosives or weapons through airport security, which is considerably more lax than prison security.

You can easily carry more explosives in certain body cavities than in your shoes. Heck you could just tape it to your belly and it wouldn't be found unless they really frisked you thoroughly.

If the terrorists are so dumb as to use shoes we should be thankful. Let's all hope they never get as wise as some of the criminals in our own prisons.

"This is plausible? "

Beyond plausible. This would be very easy. A properly shaped small amount of explosive can blow the lock and handle off a door.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

Yeah, but even if they did get the door they would be rushed by all the passengers in the cabin. I don't think people will stand idly by anymore. It would be an ugly scene, but there is no way they are going to get control of the plane without a huge fight.

Yeah, but even if they did get the door they would be rushed by all the passengers in the cabin. I don't think people will stand idly by anymore. It would be an ugly scene, but there is no way they are going to get control of the plane without a huge fight.

Exactly, I couldn't agree more. Who here would sit idly by? Not many I'm sure.

Your very right about the response from the crew and passangers but the questions posed my whm could easily be done by a private with basic explosives training.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

You can easily carry more explosives in certain body cavities than in your shoes. Heck you could just tape it to your belly and it wouldn't be found unless they really frisked you thoroughly.

Machines are starting to appear at security checkpoints that sniff for explosives. I had to go through one last time I flew out of SAN. That was about 6 months ago...I have no idea how prevalent they are now. So your point about being frisked thoroughly is coming, I think, although it won't necessarily be a physical pat-down. This is good, because if they check everyone this way, then they can check young arab males as well as the elderly scandiwhovinian grandmothers, like they do now.

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"You'll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution, Miss Scrumptious."

"I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong." -- Richard Feynman

Let's not forget, 9/11 was ultimately the result of half a dozen or so box cutters.I don't care if they were smuggled in , carried thru security, etc. 6 or 7 razor blades effected the death of thousands.... I used to use these suckers when I was a teenager working in a supermarket building displays of soup , soda, etc. Simplicity can sometimes trump high tech...

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Tony Verow MD
Durango, CO 81301
Averow@bresnan.net

You can pretty much make a weapon out of things that already exist in the airplane. Things that will pass through security 100% of the time. An aluminum can can be made into a hell of a sharp knife. A metal pen makes a a dangerous stabbing weapon. A belt buckle can be sharpened into a razor. You can find all types of weapons made out of everyday objects in any prison.

Ultimately the greatest weapon was the element of suprise. Once the passengers realized the true threat they revolted, unfortunately a little too late. The success of the attacks had little to do with the equipment, but everything to do with suprise.

This "plot" was in 2002. I'm not sure that that demonstrates that AQ is still "actively" working. I mean, that was 4 years ago.

Better to note that with horrific poll numbers, it's a good way to say, "hey! I'm the tough on terrorism president, remember!?!?"

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Father Kevin

http://www.churchofcycling.org