<font size=3D2 face=3Darial>You have been sent this message from= david ross<br>(damiross@attbi=2Ecom) as a courtesy of= WorldNetDaily=2Ecom (<a= href=3D"http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom";>http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom= </a>)=2E<br><br><br><br>To view the entire article, visit <a= href=3D"http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D2= 7647">http://www=2Eworldnetdaily=2Ecom/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D27= 647</a><br><br>Thursday, May 16,= 2002<br>--------------------------------------------------------= ----------<br>Armed pilots banned<br>2 months before 9-11<br>By= Jon= Dougherty<br>---------------------------------------------------= ---------------<br><br><font size=3D1>Posted: May 16, 2002<br>1:00= a=2Em=2E Eastern<br><br></font>A 40-year-old Federal Aviation= Administration rule that allowed commercial airline pilots to be= armed was inexplicably rescinded two months before the Sept=2E 11= terrorist attacks, leading aviation security experts to lay at= least some of the blame for the tragedy at the feet of airlines,= none of which took advantage of the privilege while it was in= effect=2E <P>The FAA adopted the armed pilot rule shortly after the Cuban= missile crisis of 1961 to help prevent hijackings of American= airliners=2E It remained in effect for four decades=2E <P>But in July 2001 =96 just two months prior to the Sept=2E 11= attacks =96 the rule was rescinded=2E <P>According to FAA officials, the rule required airlines to= apply to the agency for their pilots to carry guns in cockpits= and for the airlines to put pilots through an agency-approved= firearms training course=2E <P>The aviation agency said, however, that throughout the life of= the rule not a single U=2ES=2E air carrier took advantage of it,= effectively rendering it "moot," according to one agency= official=2E <P>"In the past, FAA regulations permitted pilots to carry= firearms in the cockpit provided they completed an FAA-approved= training program and were trained properly by the airlines," FAA= spokesman Paul Takemoto told WND in a voice-mail message=2E "That= was never put into effect because no requests for those training= programs were ever made=2E =85" <P>Takemoto said the newly created <a= href=3D"http://www=2Etsa=2Edot=2Egov";>Transportation Security= Administration</a> is now responsible for deciding whether= pilots can be armed=2E The Aviation and Transportation Security= Act signed into law by President Bush Nov=2E 19, 2001, has a= provision allowing pilots to be armed, but the law does not= mandate that the right be granted=2E <P>The FAA failed to return numerous follow-up phone calls= requesting to know why the rule was rescinded, who was= responsible for the decision, whether a particular incident= spurred the decision and whether the aviation agency believes= the airlines share some culpability for never taking advantage= of it in the first place=2E <P>Some security experts speculate that had airlines taken= advantage of the rule, it likely would not have been rescinded= by the FAA=2E And if it had been implemented by the airlines, they= say, the Sept=2E 11 hijackings =96 which led to the deaths of nearly= 3,000 people in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D=2EC=2E =96= may never have occurred=2E <P>"It's hard to say," said Capt=2E Robert Lambert, a commercial= airline pilot and founding board member of <a= href=3D"http://www=2Esecure-skies=2Eorg";>the Airline Pilots' Security= Alliance=2E</a> But in lieu of the attacks, he said he can't= understand why airlines still refuse to support arming their= pilots=2E <P>"We're convinced there was a myriad of reasons why the= airlines refused to allow pilots to be armed" before the= attacks, said Lambert=2E He said the airlines were likely= concerned about liability issues, but "of course, they have a= lot of liabilities after Sept=2E 11, too," he added=2E <P>"For airlines not to trust us [with a gun in the cockpit] is= totally ludicrous," he said=2E <P>Other pilot advocacy groups have said arming pilots as a "last= line of defense" against terrorist hijackings is a better option= =96 even if some innocent passengers are inadvertently harmed =96= than having Air Force fighters blow entire airliners out of the= sky, assuredly killing all aboard=2E <P>Nico Melendez, a spokesman for the TSA, said his agency wasn't= aware of the FAA's former rule=2E But when asked if it could have= prevented the Sept=2E 11 attacks, he refused to speculate, saying,= "I won't go there=2E" <P>Melendez also refused to say when or whether the agency would= sanction arming pilots=2E "That will be announced in due time," he= told WND=2E <P><b>Airlines mum</b> <P>None of the airlines WND attempted to contact for this story= returned inquiries asking whether they believed they shared some= culpability for the Sept=2E 11 attacks=2E <P>Bill Mellon, a spokesman for Northwest Airlines, initially= responded but, after repeatedly declining to answer pointed= questions as to why his company never applied for the FAA= program, referred further inquiries to an airline industry= group=2E <P>"Those are industry questions," he told WorldNetDaily in an= e-mail response, "not Northwest Airline questions," referring= the newssite to the <a= href=3D"http://www=2Eairlines=2Eorg/public/home/default1=2Easp";>Air= Transport Association,</a> or ATA, the industry's primary trade= group=2E <P>But the ATA, along with America West, American Airlines and= United Airlines, also failed to respond to numerous requests for= comment=2E <P>APSA's Lambert said the ATA, which purports to speak for the= entire airline industry, has "historically been against arming= pilots," a position he said was "hard to understand=2E" <P>According to published statements, the ATA said it has= traditionally supported "more federal air marshals" instead=2E <P><b>Congressional help?</b> <P>Some lawmakers are working to implement new legislation that= would require federal officials to "deputize" airline pilots and= allow them to be armed=2E <P>The House Transportation Committee is considering H=2ER=2E 4635,= called the "Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act," which would= make volunteer pilots Federal Flight Deck Officers, according to= a published summary=2E <P>The bill would mandate =96 not simply ask =96 the "Under Secretary= of Transportation for Security to =85 deputize qualified volunteer= pilots as federal law enforcement officers to defend the= cockpits of commercial aircraft in flight against acts of= criminal violence or air piracy=2E" <P>The program would go into effect 90 days after it is signed= into law, and would be implemented in conjunction with the= federal air marshal program=2E <P> The head of the <a href=3D"http://www=2Estudycrime=2Eorg";>Center= for the Study of Crime,</a> Randall N=2E Herrst =96 an attorney by= trade who said his arguments have been used successfully in= anti-gun control cases =96 disagrees with the government's= intention of placing sky marshals on each flight=2E He says arming= pilots would be a better, more cost-effective and faster plan to= implement=2E <P>"At 35,000 flights a day, even if some marshals can cover two= round trips per day on short routes, we will still need 90,000= sky marshals if we want at least two on each flight," taking= into account days off, vacations and sick days, he said=2E <P>He agreed that "there are no guarantees" armed pilots would= have prevented the Sept=2E 11 hijackings=2E But he added: "That is= the only course of action that could have stopped the attacks=2E" <P>Herrst said arming pilots would amount to a military principle= known as "defense in depth=2E" <P>"If you have a choice," he says, "you never depend on a single= line of defense =96 you always have a second, third and fourth= line as well=2E" <P>He is also suspicious that despite Sept=2E 11, lawmakers,= bureaucrats and the White House are still dragging their feet= over arming pilots=2E <P>"The reasons must be purely political," he told WND=2E "[But] if= there is another major round of hijackings, it will probably= bankrupt the entire U=2ES=2E airline industry=2E" <P>"People are so obsessed with banning guns that they are= willing to sacrifice human lives and a huge portion of our= economy to political correctness," he added=2E <P>Related stories: <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D27492">20,000 pilots= demand firearms in cockpits</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D27198">Pilots' group= petitions to arm air crews</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D27102">Pilot groups= unified on arming air crews</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D26873">Senator calls for= arming pilots</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D26709">Ridge comment on= arming pilots out of step</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D26422">Pilots' group= wants crews to be armed</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D26147">Expert: 'No= substitute' for firearms on aircraft</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D26061">FAA seeks input= on arming pilots</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D24597">Bill would ensure= pilots' right to be armed</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D24809">Reform Party:= Pilots should be armed</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D24673">Boot camp for= pilots?</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D24558">Pilots offered= free firearms training</a> <P><a href=3D"/news/article=2Easp?ARTICLE_ID=3D24549">Captains to FAA:= Focus on cockpits</a><br> <P><b>Related Special Offers:</b> <P>'The 7 Myths of Gun Control'<BR><A= HREF=3D"http://www=2Eshopnetdaily=2Ecom/store/item=2Easp?ITEM_ID=3D165";>Ge= t the ultimate answer book on Second Amendment rights</A> <P>'On the Firing Line'<br><a= href=3D"http://www=2Eshopnetdaily=2Ecom/store/item=2Easp?DEPARTMENT_ID=3D6= &SUBDEPARTMENT_ID=3D23&ITEM_ID=3D422">Larry Pratt's provocative= analysis of 2nd Amendment</a><br> <P>=A9 2002 </P><br><hr noshade size=3D"1" width=3D"16%= "><br><P><i><A HREF=3D"mailto:jdougherty@worldnetdaily=2Ecom";>Jon E=2E= Dougherty</A> is a staff reporter and columnist for= WorldNetDaily, and author of the special report, <a= href=3D"http://www=2Eshopnetdaily=2Ecom/store/item=2Easp?DEPARTMENT_ID=3D1= 0&SUBDEPARTMENT_ID=3D35&DROPSHIP_ID=3D44&ITEM_ID=3D19">"Election 2000:= How the Military Vote Was= Suppressed=2E"</a></i></p><br><br>--------------------------------= ----------------------------------