Despite Studies Suggesting GA Makes For A Poor Weapon System, DHS and FBI Publish Warnings

OK... let the pre-9/11 anniversary paranoia begin!

A Friday missive credited to both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security is warning the nation's security forces to be alert for a possible threat to the nation via small aircraft. While admitting that there is no specific or even credible threat yet defined (or accompanied by any real evidence), that hasn't kept the Feds from ratcheting up the paranoia factor and implicating a weapon system that, at best, would make for a pretty poor mode of attack -- namely small airplanes.

A five page bulletin, released to unnamed sources on Friday, claims that al Qaida was still considering the use of aviation as a weapon system with which to launch attacks on the USA.

The Bulletin is reported to note that, "Al-Qaida and its affiliates have maintained an interest in obtaining aviation training, particularly on small aircraft, and in recruiting Western individuals for training in Europe or the United States, although we do not have current, credible information or intelligence of an imminent attack being planned."

Media reports also suggest that 'al-Qaida would like to use sympathetic Westerners to get flight training, then get them to become flight instructors.' 

After stoking the fires of security paranoia, DHS Spokesman Matthew Chandler, then described the publication as "routine" but that they went ahead with the warning on the even of 9/11, anyway. "We shared this information with our partners to highlight the need for continued awareness and vigilance," Chandler explained.

FMI: www.dhs.gov, www.fbi.gov