The Cauldron

Flyover at the Cleveland Zoo

In what can only be described as appalling, the U.S. government conducted a aerial photo mission of a low flying Air Force VC 25 airplane and what appeared to be two military jets on April 27 that cost taxpayers an estimated $300,000. The Air Force VC 25 is called Air Force One when it is being used by the president. The goal of this aerial photo mission was to obtain updated images of the VC 25 for the Air Force. But, to the average citizen the intentions didn't seem so obvious.

The military jets appeared to be in pursuit of the VC 25, while it gave chase as it flew around the Statue of Liberty and through the tall buildings that make up the Manhattan's skyline. The incident lasted a half hour and as you can imagine caused all who witnessed it to panic and assume that another attack was imminent. Workers from several buildings in lower Manhattan ran out into the streets and attempted to notify authorities to what was going on.

The Associated Press spoke with a witness that described how the people around him "went into a total panic."

"Everyone panicked, as you can certainly understand," said John Leitner, a floor trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange Building. "Apparently, nobody in the building was informed that this was going to happen."

They had every right to feel this way due to the fact that this same area was attacked in 2001 by two commercial airliners that slammed into the World Trade Center killing 2,974 people. It has been over eight years since this tragedy gripped lower Manhattan and the idea that this mission should be performed is troubling. The images could have easily been photoshopped instead of making New York relive this nightmare.

France Townsend, a former Homeland Security Adviser to President George W. Bush and CNN contributer called the mission "disturbing." "If you needed pictures of Air Force One over a national icon, fly it over the Grand Canyon. But flying it over lower Manhattan, which to many of us is a sacred ground now where we lost thousands of Americans."

New York major Michael Bloomberg reacted to the incident with disgust and disdain. "Why the defense department wanted to do a photo op right around the World Trade Center catastrophe defies imagination."

I, like some many other americans will never forget the events that began on that fateful Tuesday morning, nor will I ever forget the lives that were lost in a attempt to help the people that tried desperately to escape the Twin Towers. The allusion to these events by this aerial photo mission should have been taken into account before it was ever approved. So why was it ever approved?

The responsibility lies solely with Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office. Within hours of the incident Caldera released a statement to the press on the flight over New York. "I take responsibility for that decision...it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

This may not be enough for Caldera to keep his position in the Obama administration. Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary told reporters that the president has instructed his deputy chief of staff to conduct an investigation into the fly-over mission. "The president was furious upon learning of this decision," said Gibbs.

The president also made a brief statement on the issue at F.B.I. Headquarters saying only that "it will not happen again." But is this a legitimate response?

Does this mission indicate a lack of sensitivity from the Obama Administration towards the event of 9/11? The people were who witnessed the event would all agree that someone needs to held accountable.

Article Tools