Stolen Cessna Invades US, is Allowed to Land and Pilot Escapes.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/06/stolen.plane/index.html

At the time that I write this blog entry, this story is only a couple of hours old. A stolen Cessna 172, flying from Candian airspace is allowed to enter U.S. airspace. The flight is tracked by NORAD and is also escorted by fighter jets of the United States Air Force.

Here's the part that blows my mind. After flying in U.S. airspace for several hours, the pilot fails to acknowledge any radio transmissions from NORAD or the escorting fighters. While the pilot behaved in a manner that indicates that he was aware that the escorting fighters were present, he failed to acknowledge any of the visual signals or cues from the escorts. Finally, with experts estimating that he only had another 30 minutes of fuel left, he landed his aircraft in Southern Missouri near the town of Ellsinore.

We are being told that this individual is a naturalized Candian citizen and that he is an "unhappy individual". Nonetheless, even though he landed the aircraft safely near Highway 60 and has escaped on foot, his identity is being withheld.

Why is his identity being withheld? In my opinion, this person poses a significant threat to U.S. national security. I believe this because my government has not given me enough information to believe otherwise. While there is no question that this person, if he shows up in Ellsinore, will stick out like a sore thumb ("You ain't from around here, aintcha?") the fact is that depending on what his "mission" may be, he may have enough provisions on him to survive for a week or more. Long enough to either potentially evade capture and if possible, link up with others in this country that are sympathetic to him.

In my opinion, this aircraft should have been forced down. I realize that I do not have all of the facts in this case, but I know this: That the U.S. should adopt an iron-clad policy that any aircraft entering U.S. airspace without authorization that fails to obey the instructions of escorting U.S. Air Force aircraft will be shot down. We do not need any more buildings destroyed by foreign invaders flying stolen airplanes, be they 110 story towers of steel and glass, or alocal city hall, grocery store or school building.