Date: Sat, 6 Jul 2002 21:45:58 -0700 From: Addison Schonland <addison@schonland.com> Subject: El Al probing 2nd July 4 attack, in Russia, as also terrorist >>An El Al pilot on a flight from Tel Aviv to Moscow reported last night >>that he had seen the flash of what he thought was a rocket fired in his >>direction. It happened over the Russian city of Petrovsk on the Caspian Sea. Phewwwwwwww.....I think we can forget all about this "incident". For it never happened. Coz if it happened over the Russian city of Petrovsk on the Caspian Sea, it is but imagination on the part of the crew. There is a Dnepropetrovsk in the UKRAINE, which I have heard rumours about a "missile" being fired in the vicinity of an El Al aircraft. We should probably concentrate efforts on finding out what the latter incident was about ;-) >>TEL AVIV - Executives at Israel's El Al airlines are working on the >>assumption that the national air carrier came under separate terrorist >>attacks in both Russia and the United States on July 4. Cmon......terrorism. Wouldn't want to get the facts first and then make an unemotional and informed judgement after an investigation. >>Also on Thursday, an El Al pilot reported that a missile was fired at his >>passenger jet during a flight to Russia. The missile missed the plane and >>exploded on the right side of the aircraft, El Al executives said. Actually, this is a load of #*%@. The El Al pilot reported that a missile exploded several kilometres away from his aircraft. Hardly "at his passenger jet". >>The executives said the report is being investigated. So far, the executives >>said, Russian authorities did not report a missile launch. Why would Russian authorities report a missile launch, particularly since it wasn't on their territory, and also because it wasn't them firing any missile which may or may not have been launched. >>Last year, a Russian airliner full of Israeli passengers was shot down by a >>missile over Ukraine in what was termed an accident. "termed an accident"????? How would this fine publication like to "term" it? The Ukrainians are hardly going to shoot an airliner out of the sky on purpose. A deliberate act of terrorism on the part of the Ukrainians? NO. A training exercise gone horribly wrong? YES The motive for the Los Angeles attack was not clear. An FBI officer said the gunman was not a terrorist. >>"The way it was conducted was very similar to previous attacks at El Al counters >>throughout European countries. And therefore given this history we presume >>that it may be, and would appear to be, a terrorist attack." Anyone got details of these "previous attacks"? I don't remember any incidents where a gunmen has shot dead El Al employees in Europe at an airport counter. >>"Means of security have been reinforced and security checks of passengers, >>air crew and El Al planes throughout the world have been increased," an El >>Al statement said. El Al passenger security checks increasing??? How on earth can El Al security checks increase? Are they now going to get out rubber gloves????