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Govt OKs Guidelines to Shoot Down Hijacked Planes
The Russian government has endorsed a bill that describes procedures to destroy hijacked airplanes or ships. Airlines fear that the stipulated possibility to shoot down a supposedly hijacked jet may force pilots to hide information about the attack. Lawmakers argue that any decision to destroy a ship or a plane with terrorists will be closely examined by several agencies.
The government on Saturday endorsed a bill which describes the procedure to use weapons to destroy a terrorism threat in air, water and underwater as well as in a counterterrorism operation. The Defense Minister reported that anti-aircraft defense and navy will soon be provided with new guidelines on how to act in case of hijacked aircrafts or vessel terrorism threats.
The new bill resembles legislation in other countries which allows firing a warning for a plane in case it deviates from its flight path and does not respond or will not obey air traffic control instructions.
However, “suspicious” jets in Russia may be destroyed without an early warning in case there is “reliable information” on the terrorism threat. It is up to the Defense Ministry and Federal Security Agency to consider it reliable or not. Experts fear that this stipulation may trigger unpredictable actins of the cabin crew. Under the death threat, pilots may decide not to inform about a terrorist attack hoping to survive.
Head of the Duma Security Committee Vladimir Vasilyev admitted that the words “reliable information” may sound disquieting. He noted, however, that a decision to destroy a jet or a ship is to be taken and considered on different levels, from the National Anti-Terrorism Committee up to the operation staff, which will “minimize the risk of an error”.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 13, 2007
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