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Feds Knew It Would Cause Panic - 911Calls - PHOTO-OP Cost Over $328,000

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Bianca
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« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2009, 07:47:59 pm »








White House Apologizes for NYC Air Force One Photo Op



Later, Caldera apologized in a statement, saying, "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. 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."

President Obama said, "It was a mistake, as was stated. It was something we found out about along with all of you. And it will not happen again." The President did not answer a follow-up question on whether or not Caldera is the right man for the job.

Later, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that President Obama ordered that Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina conduct an internal review, which will take a couple of weeks to complete.

"The President will look at that review and take any appropriate steps after that," Gibbs said.



During a press briefing Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the photo op over New York was a "mistake" and a "mishandled, misguided mission." He said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was unaware of "this flying photo-op, but once he found out, suffice it to say, he was surprised and not very pleased."

Morrell did say that others in the building did know about the photo shoot in advance and the preference would have been for one of them to "raise their hand and say this is not a good idea…Unfortunately, that did not happen."

Morrell said the White House Military Office was behind this photo-op and punted questions to the White House about the rationale behind it. The flight, he said, "was first and foremost a training mission and that they decided to take advantage of it by conducting these photos simultaneously." He had no information on the cost of the mission.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2009, 09:45:24 pm by Bianca » Report Spam   Logged

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Bianca
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« Reply #16 on: April 28, 2009, 07:52:26 pm »










Officials Say System Broke Down



Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.

Bloomberg said he was so furious he wasn't told about the photo op, that before he talked further to his own staff and agencies about the lack of notice to him, he wanted "to calm down."

"Poor judgment would have been a nice way to put it," Bloomberg said of the government flyover.

 Is Obama Ready for a Bomb on the Train?



A New York City employee was disciplined for failing to pass on the FAA fly over information when it arrived on the employee's desk at City Hall.

According to city officials the employee was "reprimanded" and a "letter was placed in his file."

No information was immediately available on what if any discipline was meted out at the NYPD, where a second FAA notice was received last Thursday.
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Bianca
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« Reply #17 on: April 28, 2009, 07:55:53 pm »









Back Up Presidential Plane



According to officials, the flight -- authorized by the FAA -- came in as low as 1000 feet to 150 feet above the city as it made a large circle over Manhattan, Staten Island, and New Jersey. The plane used was the back-up presidential plane.

Self-evacuations of buildings in lower Manhattan and New Jersey, including the New York Mercantile Exchange, took place during the fly over.

According to multiple agencies, they were notified of the flyover last week, however the general public was not notified.

The Defense Department conducted the photo opportunity over the Hudson River. The planes flew over Lower Manhattan and in the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty during a 15 minute, pre-planned flight.
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Bianca
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« Reply #18 on: April 28, 2009, 07:58:15 pm »









NYPD Says It Was Told to Keep Quiet About Flyover



Local authorities were told not to disclose information about this morning's flyover, the New York City Police Department said in a statement.

"The flight of a VC-25 aircraft (the military version of the 747) and F-16 fighters this morning was authorized by the FAA for the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty with directives to local authorities not to disclose information about it but to direct any inquiries to the FAA Air Traffic Security Coordinator," police said.





Witness Says People 'Running Scared'



Other officials noted that they were led to believe the flight would be limited to the area near the Statue of Liberty, however the flight pattern was above a much larger portion of New York and at an extremely low altitude.


Dan Matlack, in Jersey City, NJ across from Manhattan, said people were running to get away, with flashbacks to 9-11.

The plane was "really close to the ground and banking hard and 'seemed' like it was heading for the Goldman Sachs building in [Jersey City] to us on the ground," Matlack told ABCNews.com.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said the flyover "borders on being cruel or very, very stupid."

After 9-11, he said, 'If you're going to see large jets flying low over New York City, people are going to panic."






Erin Keohane,
Jake Tapper,
Sunlen Miller and
Richard Esposito

contributed to this report.
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Bianca
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« Reply #19 on: April 28, 2009, 09:44:37 pm »









                              FAA Memo: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic






Marcia Kramer
NEW YORK
(CBS) ― 

 An F-16 fighter jet trails a larger military aircraft over Lower Manhattan Monday, April 27, 2009, conducting a photo shoot that panicked thousands of New Yorkers who believed the city was in jeopardy for another terrorist attack.

A furious President Barack Obama ordered an internal review of Monday's low-flying photo op over the Statue of Liberty.

CBS 2 HD has discovered the feds will have plenty to question.

Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.

In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD the Federal Aviation Administration's James Johnston said the agency was aware of "the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes" in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor's office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out.

 What are your feelings on federal officials demanding the NYC flyover be kept secret by the NYPD and the mayor's office?

"To say that it should not be made public knowing that it might scare people it's just confounding," Sen. Charles Schumer said. "It's what gives Washington and government a bad name. It's sheer stupidity."

The flyover -- apparently ordered by the White House Office of Military Affairs so it would have souvenir photos of Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty in the background -- had President Obama seeing red. He ordered a probe and apologized.

"It was a mistake. It will never happen again," President Obama said.

The NYPD was so upset about the demand for secrecy that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly vowed never to follow such a directive again and he accused the feds of inciting fears of a 9/11 replay.

"Did it show any insensitivity to the psychic wounds New York City has after 9/11? Absolutely. No questions about it. It was quite insensitive."

The cost of the frivolous flight was about $60,000 an hour and that was just for Air Force One. That doesn't include the cost of the two F-16s that came along.

The mayoral aide who neglected to tell Mayor Michael Bloomberg about it was reprimanded.
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Justin Garrow
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« Reply #20 on: April 29, 2009, 11:10:17 am »

FAA Memo: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic
Threatened Federal Sanctions Against NYPD, Secret Service, FBI & Mayor's Office If Secret Ever Got Out

Furious Obama Apologizes: "It Will Never Happen Again"
 CBS News Interactive: Sept. 11 And Since


NEW YORK (CBS) ― 
Click to enlarge
 An F-16 fighter jet trails a larger military aircraft over Lower Manhattan Monday, April 27, 2009, conducting a photo shoot that panicked thousands of New Yorkers who believed the city was in jeopardy for another terrorist attack.
Christopher Talbot, WCBS-AM Listener

1 of 3
Click to enlarge
 Dozens of people evacuated outside 17 State Street after military jets were seen escorting a 747 in Manhattan on April 27, 2009.
CBS

2 of 3
Click to enlarge
 Ellen in Bayonne, NJ took this photograph of a military jet escorting a 747 over lower Manhattan.
CBS

3 of 3
Close
 


 
numSlides of totalImages  Related Slideshows Hooray For The Red, White And Zooom!  Celebs Who Lean To The Right  Openly Gay Celebrities  2009 Celebrity Deaths  Jessica Simpson: Then & Now  **** Liberal Celebrities  Celebrities Separated At Birth?  Best Picture Blunders  What A Way To Go  Hottest Celebrity Moms Related StoriesWhite House Apologizes For NYC Military Fly-By (4/28/2009)
Recriminations After NYC Jet Flyover Photo Op (4/28/2009)
Related LinksWCBS-TV Local Coverage
A furious President Barack Obama ordered an internal review of Monday's low-flying photo op over the Statue of Liberty.

CBS 2 HD has discovered the feds will have plenty to

Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and a 747 from the presidential fleet to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.

In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD, the Federal Aviation Administration's James Johnston said the agency was aware of "the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes" in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor's office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out.

 What are your feelings on federal officials demanding the NYC flyover be kept secret by the NYPD and the mayor's office?

"To say that it should not be made public knowing that it might scare people it's just confounding," Sen. Charles Schumer said. "It's what gives Washington and government a bad name. It's sheer stupidity."

The flyover -- apparently ordered by the White House Office of Military Affairs so it would have souvenir photos of Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty in the background -- had President Obama seeing red. He ordered a probe and apologized.

"It was a mistake. It will never happen again," President Obama said.

The cost of the frivolous flight was about $60,000 an hour and that was just for the presidential aircraft. That doesn't include the cost of the two F-16s that came along.

The flight by the VC-25, a modified Boeing Co. 747, and two F-16 fighter jets cost $328,835, Air Force spokeswoman Vicki Stein said.

That includes $300,658 for the larger plane, which flew a three-hour mission, and about $28,178 for the F-16 jets, which flew 1.8 hours each, Stein said in an e-mailed statement.

The NYPD was so upset about the demand for secrecy that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly vowed never to follow such a directive again and he accused the feds of inciting fears of a 9/11 replay.

"Did it show an insensitivity to the psychic wounds New York City has after 9/11? Absolutely. No questions about it. It was quite insensitive," Kelly said.

The mayoral aide who neglected to tell Mayor Michael Bloomberg about it was reprimanded.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/air.force.one.2.996457.html
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Justin Garrow
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« Reply #21 on: April 29, 2009, 11:11:34 am »


 

 An F-16 fighter jet trails a larger military aircraft over Lower Manhattan Monday, April 27, 2009, conducting a photo shoot that panicked thousands of New Yorkers who believed the city was in jeopardy for another terrorist attack.
Christopher Talbot, WCBS-AM Listener


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Justin Garrow
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« Reply #22 on: April 29, 2009, 11:12:03 am »



Dozens of people evacuated outside 17 State Street after military jets were seen escorting a 747 in Manhattan on April 27, 2009.
CBS

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Justin Garrow
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« Reply #23 on: April 29, 2009, 11:12:33 am »



Ellen in Bayonne, NJ took this photograph of a military jet escorting a 747 over lower Manhattan.
CBS
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Bianca
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« Reply #24 on: April 30, 2009, 07:57:45 am »









                            So Why Does the President's Plane Need Publicity, Anyway?
           





Reuters
Mark Thompson And
Michael Scherer
/ Washington –
Thu Apr 30, 2009

Sometimes, even the most straightforward question can create evasion and denial in Washington's corridors of power - a question like "Why does Air Force One need publicity photos?" It's a legitimate question, following the official explanation that Monday's flight over lower Manhattan by one of the President's fleet of 747s (shadowed by two fighter planes), which evoked ghosts of 9/11 and spread panic, was simply an ill-conceived photo opportunity.


A call to the Air Force on Wednesday seeking an answer to that simple question was referred to the White House Military Office, just across the Potomac River. The White House office - which had approved the flying photo opportunity but ordered that the public be kept in the dark about the flight plan - said the Air Force was handling the issue. As is typical in such snafus, the White House Military Office's answer wasn't completely wrong, as a second call to the Air Force revealed. (See pictures from the Air Force's 60th anniversary.)


"That's a question for the White House, and I understand that they may be bouncing you back here," Air Force Lieut. Colonel Tadd Sholtis explained. Following Tuesday's release by the Air Force of the cost of the flight - $328,835 - the beleaguered White House Military Office was bouncing all questions on the topic back to the flyboys. But the Air Force, which knows how to employ stealth technology and evasive maneuvers when warranted, wasn't going to allow the media to lock on. "The purpose of the flight, why did it happen, all those kinds of things," Sholtis said, "need to be addressed to the White House Military Office."


On another call to the White House Military Office, headed by Clinton-era Army Secretary Louis Caldera, the reporter explained how the Air Force was answering only questions about the cost of the flight and not anything else. Cornered, the WHMO official punted: "You'll have to call the White House press office." But White House press secretary Robert Gibbs couldn't shed any light on the matter either. "They've had [such photos] for at least two decades," Gibbs told TIME on Wednesday. "Our point was that we don't need a new one." (The publicity pictures, apparently, are released to the media and also handed out as souvenirs to guests who travel aboard the presidential plane.)


"It was a mistake," President Obama had said of the incident the day before, "and it will not happen again." The White House has steadfastly refused to rule out firing Caldera, whom Obama appointed with a glowing recommendation. "Louis has served his country with distinction in uniform and in government, and his pedigree is second to none," the President said at the time. "I know he'll bring to the White House the same dedication and integrity that have earned him the highest praise in every post." (See pictures of NASA, Boeing and the Air Force teaming up.)


Unfortunately, "dedication and integrity" don't necessarily include common sense and intelligence. It appears to be taking official Washington some time to grasp that Obama isn't interested in the aura of power supposedly conferred by new presidential helicopters (he's killed a proposed $13 billion upgrade of the fleet of 28 Marine Ones) or glossy souvenir photos of Air Force One flying over New York City. Trimming the trappings of power gives his Administration the credibility to seek sacrifices from other parts of the government, and from taxpayers too. But it appears that some folks - like Caldera, who as of this moment still heads the White House Military Office - still haven't gotten the message.
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Bethany Beightol
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« Reply #25 on: May 11, 2009, 11:16:17 am »

Bianca, you do know that Obama had nothing to do with this, he found out about it with the rest of us.

Well, on the bright side, at least the person who made the actual decision on this resigned from office, Army Secretary Louis Caldera.

Did anyone ever take responsibility and resign over mistakes, high crimes and misdemeanors in the Bush Administration?

No one ever resigned over September 11th.

No one ever resigned over intelligence that led to the Iraq War.

Or over the Valerie Plame leak.

Hurricane Katrina.

The Current Financial Crisis.
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Bethany Beightol
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« Reply #26 on: May 11, 2009, 11:17:19 am »

I'd also like to add that the government officials, as well as the FAA were informed beforehand.  The person at fault was the official in the Mayor's office, who neglected to inform Bloomberg.
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