11 Tripoli Planes Still Missing, Sparks 9/11 Concerns
Over the last month, Libya has been spiraling out of control, as terrorist gains and attacks have intensified. As of August, the US embassy in Tripoli was overrun. The Inquisitr reported that a local militia group stormed the compound and took control.
“Dawn of Libya, an organization consisting of militants from several organizations, announced that it had claimed the embassy, which has been evacuated for a month. The group posted a video showing men playing in the embassy’s pool.”
Libya is the same country that was the site of the Benghazi scandal that still, though generally has been reduced to distant thunder, is hovering over the Obama administration. The attack took the life of US Ambassador Chris Stevens, U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty.
Reports indicate, that a major Libyan airport in Tripoli was overrun terrorists, and 11 planes went missing last month. Magharebia reported on August 20 about the missing Libyan planes.
“The Tripoli airport siege led to the disappearance of several commercial planes. Now countries on both shores of the Mediterranean are worried about how the missing aircraft might be used by terrorists.
Rival militias have fought for control of the airport since mid-July, inflicting civilian casualties and extensive damage. But one unusual consequence of the ongoing battle has nearly a dozen countries on edge.”
Now, US intelligence suggests one or more of 11 planes from Tripoli, Libya could potentially find their way to New York and Washington D.C. According to the Washington Free Beacon, one official stated ” We found out on September 11 what can happened with hijacked planes”. The official went onto to say:
“The official said the aircraft are a serious counterterrorism concern because reports of terrorist control over the Libyan airliners come three weeks before the 13th anniversary of 9/11 attacks and the second anniversary of the Libyan terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi.”
A State department official dodged the question concerning legitimacy of the report, according to the Washington Times, and stated “I can’t confirm that”.
Joint military exercises, as of August 20, have begun to include simulations to intercept a passenger or military plane that is piloted by terorists, Magharebia reports.
“The air forces of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Malta will participate in the upcoming exercise, in co-ordination with US naval forces stationed in the Mediterranean and Italy, Anatolia news agency reported on Monday.”
An analyst named Yakoub Mustafa told Magharebia:
“These terrorist elements are present in abundance in Libya and have gotten sophisticated weapons by buying them from smugglers, professional armed militias or even ordinary citizens. This volatile situation requires security partnerships among multiple countries”
The question remains, how should the US respond to escalation of attacks overseas?
