Video: Scare Force One pics to remain classified
posted at 10:55 am on May 5, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
- 3-hour trip on Air Force One: $300,000
- Military jet escort: $30,000
- Pictures generated from panicking the largest American city: Classified.
The White House has decided to keep the pictures from the Scare Force One classified, which given the circumstances, seems like an odd decision:
I can understand why the White House would choose not to use the pictures, and remind everyone of the almost-criminal stupidity of the Obama administration in doing flybys of New York City skyscrapers with a big jet plane without warning people. But keeping them classified? We have plenty of shots in the public domain of Scare Force One buzzing terrified New Yorkers, most of them taken by the people who wondered whether al-Qaeda had launched another attack on the city. The stupidity of this public-relations mission has already leaked to the public.
Speaking of which, has Obama fired the person responsible for this idiocy? Apparently not; Louis Caldera, the man who approved this mission, still runs the White House Military Office.
Blowback
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If that’s true there has to be a paper trail of some sort (or the electronic version of it). You can’t get a group of folks together for a ride like that without some planning and notice. It ought to be fairly easy for some sleuth to track down, methinks.
Bob's Kid on May 5, 2009 at 11:36 AM
if you staged a photo op with the spot that “chickens came home to roost” as a backdrop, you’d want to keep them classified, too.
cpr on May 5, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Who was on that plane?
faraway on May 5, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Ya know, nobody thought it was much of a deal when the Clintons fired everyone in the White House Travel Office early in their term as co-Presidents. Then the cover-up started.
Small abuses like this have a way of snowballing when the White House starts stonewalling.
rockmom on May 5, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Hey, in this administration, the buck stops…way before it can get to Obama.
loudmouth883 on May 5, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Yes, and top secret memos are now being disseminated to the public and used for publicity purposes. Up is down and left is right. Get used to it.
LibTired on May 5, 2009 at 11:37 AM
It’s classified! Very serious security stuff. We all know how seriously the Obama administration takes security issues.
Sue on May 5, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Obama, having taken massive funding from Arab nations, deserves that critical hypothesis. It was Obama who directed Airforce One to terrorize NYC. Let him dispel such distrust with his OWN transparency!
maverick muse on May 5, 2009 at 11:38 AM
sedition
treason
domestic terrorism
impeach
Ris4victory on May 5, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Yeah, I actually think this is what happened. Some movie producer wanted footage of AF1 flying over New York City, and when they looked for archived footage it all had the WTC towers in it. So they did need to update the footage, but it sure would be adding insult to injury to New Yorkers to admit the reason why.
rockmom on May 5, 2009 at 11:39 AM
So if they don’t release the photos, and they scared New Yorkers, what WAS the purpose of that flyover? To intimidate the people of New York? To spy on them?
Steve Z on May 5, 2009 at 11:39 AM
* These are not the droids you’re looking for *
gwelf on May 5, 2009 at 11:39 AM
…eventually striking fear in every government employee, and in every American.
maverick muse on May 5, 2009 at 11:39 AM
There are federal laws that govern what can and cannot be classified. Obama’s decision to keep these photos classified should be challenged in court. I doubt it can be justified.
This entire episode demonstrates the incompetence, narcissism and arrogant elitism and entitlement of this administration: The Scare Force One mission itself with the order not to reveal it to the public in NY City, then passing the buck around as to who was responsible to minimize the impact in the news, Obama’s decision to classify these photo’s, and his decision not to fire the staff responsible.
Combine this with their decision to declassify the Iraq prisoner abuse photos in time for Memorial Day, and you demonstrate the audacity of leftist anti-American hypocrisy.
Loxodonta on May 5, 2009 at 11:40 AM
heheheh
maverick muse on May 5, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Louis Caldera is a West Point grad who served active duty state-side from ’78 to ’83 before resigning to go to Harvard. He was a Clintonista who was handsomely enriched by his associations throughout the years, culminating with spot on the IndyMac board where he participated in seeing that company on to its demise last year.
As you can see, his flair for the finer points of management have not deserted him since his glory days at IndyMac.
Immolate on May 5, 2009 at 11:40 AM
I call on NY Sen Chuck Shumer to demand the WH release these photos and flight manifast! Surely Chucky will file his own FOIA in the interest of the people of NY…
TN Mom on May 5, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Yes, and top secret memos are now being disseminated to the public and used for publicity purposes. Up is down and left is right. Get used to it.
LibTired on May 5, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Thank you for clearing that up.
Now when customers ask for my business card I can simply inform them that although I had 2,000 cards printed up, I can’t actually hand them out because they’re secret or something.
Next year I will pay for 4,000 cards and hide them in the shed.
Bishop on May 5, 2009 at 11:41 AM
manifest… oops
TN Mom on May 5, 2009 at 11:41 AM
After asking Palin the tough questions, like what magazines do you read, it’s a given she’ll…never ask Obama anything more than how does he deal with his success? And does Michelle still think his feet stink.
Sue on May 5, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Yeah, but Palin was like, stupid, or something, not the Savior like Obam’ter is!
JamesLee on May 5, 2009 at 11:43 AM
This, in particular, is an outrage. Countless New Yorkers tortured for a “photo op” and now the “photo op” is classified? So what, exactly, were New Yorkers tortured for?
If I were one of the tortured I would damn well be demanding to know. The price tag was paid for by the tortured. Literally. Where is the outrage?
I know this sounds nuts, but frankly this sounds like a “dry run”.
ORconservative on May 5, 2009 at 11:43 AM
exactly.
The entire IDEA determining Obama’s form strangles like the Bruckner boa constrictor (according to the competitive critic).
maverick muse on May 5, 2009 at 11:44 AM
And to think I “talked myself off the ledge” after the election thinking he would move to the center once he was “installed” into office. He’s FAR more radical than I ever thought he would be. He’s creepy and downright terrifying.
MarkABinVA on May 5, 2009 at 11:45 AM
I wonder if a story spread fast enough that was just plausible enough to be the truth if Obama would feel compelled to release the information just to prove those spreading the story wrong?
Sue on May 5, 2009 at 11:45 AM
It’s a good thing they’ve classified these photos, by the way. Because now it means no one will ever see any photos or video of it.
LibTired on May 5, 2009 at 11:46 AM
It’s Heather Nauert!
TheBlueSite on May 5, 2009 at 11:48 AM
I don’t know. If I were Tapper, probably not, just because it is not a big deal relatively speaking. I say that because 1) the case could handed off to about any reporter at ABC and should be, and 2) because in his position, he has the ability to dig into any of the other more damning instances of unethical conduct and potential illegalities being committed by the Obama administration.
One I’d love to see him work on is the blackmailing of the Chrysler secured creditors by Obama via Rattner. That’s a very specific one. Another, more general, is the running executive branch essentially by unknown and unappointed lobbyists and NGO’s out of the White House.
Dusty on May 5, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Gallagher just mentioned the HA comments on his radio show.
ladyingray on May 5, 2009 at 11:48 AM
You mean the shed that’s locked from the inside so you can’t get into it?
LibTired on May 5, 2009 at 11:50 AM
isn’t this plane owned by the American taxpayers? release all info NOW
Ris4victory on May 5, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Digitally removing the WTC from any video footage should be trivially easy.
MarkTheGreat on May 5, 2009 at 11:52 AM
{sigh} Is it too early to start drinking for us on the East coast?
MarkABinVA on May 5, 2009 at 11:54 AM
The designated military fall guys can’t be fingered until the news cycle requires a distraction.
Only then will the hard-hitting investigagion reveal who the cabal has already decided to pin this on.
notagool on May 5, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Nah, go for it! I’ve been drinking steadily since January 20th.
Cheers!
Knucklehead on May 5, 2009 at 11:57 AM
I think I could probably do that with my limited knowledge of after effects. Then again, there would likely be two WTC tower shaped hotels with the “ACME” label in its place (or giant lollipops, chess pieces, anything wtc-shaped).
Did I mention my after effects skills are minimal?
TheBlueSite on May 5, 2009 at 11:57 AM
After all that I dont get to see the damn pictures I paid for???????????
Chuck Schick on May 5, 2009 at 12:00 PM
What did he say?
JetBoy on May 5, 2009 at 12:00 PM
4-27 WAS AN INSIDE JOB !!1!!!!11!!
They’re not releasing the photos because you can see Soros and Hugo Chavez looking out the window!!!
Chickyraptor on May 5, 2009 at 12:01 PM
lol…you forgot the sarc tag :-)
RepubChica on May 5, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Enhanced Interogation photos, Public Information.
Pictures of Air Force on, Classified.
No political motivations here.
Thune on May 5, 2009 at 12:01 PM
You mean the shed that’s locked from the inside so you can’t get into it?
LibTired on May 5, 2009 at 11:50 AM
That’s top secret, you weren’t supposed to know about it.
Don’t move, I’m sending someone over to “talk” to you.
Bishop on May 5, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Screw that. It’s not too early here on the West Coast.
wccawa on May 5, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Will the White House now demand that the videos taken by private citizens be pulled from YouTube?
Knucklehead on May 5, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Classified?
Let’s look at at how infomation is classified within the US government:
Confidential — defined as information which would “damage” national security if disclosed.
Secret — information is classified secret when its release would cause “serious damage” to national security.
Top Secret – is defined as information that would cause “exceptionally grave damage” to national security if disclosed to the public.
Obama Cosmic – information that if disclosed will prove conclusively that Obama and the Obama Administration are street-hustling confidence men who are out to bilk the Nation.
OK…must be classified information then…
coldwarrior on May 5, 2009 at 12:04 PM
That’s what I think also. If you would have asked my six months ago if such a thing would happen, I would have rolled my eyes. These past 100+ days have shown all of us that this man and his administration are capable of anything, however.
baldilocks on May 5, 2009 at 12:07 PM
A new age of transparency!
WisCon on May 5, 2009 at 12:07 PM
my=me
baldilocks on May 5, 2009 at 12:07 PM
They don’t want to show the photos of all the people scampering around…
pt on May 5, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Michelles kids and Obiden getting some souvineers from their days in the White House before The One sent the Statue Of Liberty back to France.
dhunter on May 5, 2009 at 12:09 PM
It was NYC residents who took these photos right? And since Obama said there is no threat from al-Qaeda and Bush is the real terrorist, well then the thinking must have been oh shit, Bush is attacking us.
angryed on May 5, 2009 at 12:09 PM
New Yorkers are not buying it.
Push back. If the little things are allowed to slide…bigger things will slide, too.
coldwarrior on May 5, 2009 at 12:11 PM
I was wondering… was anyone riding on the plane? Was the photo-op for people inside the plane (family, friends, big contributors?) to take photos of NYC, Statue of Liberty, etc. from the plane?
“See the pictures I took when I was on Air Force One?”
Just wondering… I never heard anyone say who or how many people were on board.
Sloan Morganstern on May 5, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Classified? For some national security reason? Classified?
Akzed on May 5, 2009 at 12:15 PM
New Yorkers absolutely should not let this go.
Although I know NYC is a liberal place this situation is way beyond what they owe Obama in blind allegiance.
ORconservative on May 5, 2009 at 12:16 PM
Cheers my
friendscomrades!MarkABinVA on May 5, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Hey! The Obama administration is torture, plain and simple.
But I’ve died and gone to heaven many a time thanks to Anton’s boa constrictors, Hanslick muse.
Loxodonta on May 5, 2009 at 12:19 PM
The Clintons were famous for renting out the Lincoln bedroom (‘member the photos of Linda Bloodworth-Thomas and Marky Post or someone jumping on the bed?). Why wouldn’t Obama offer AF1 as a perk?
Sloan Morganstern on May 5, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Ok, I did a little research and based on this photo you can see the F16 has a bright red tail. Most likely this 2 seat F16 was used
TheBigOldDog on May 5, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Classified?!
Akzed on May 5, 2009 at 12:23 PM
How did you go so long without? I’ve been drinking since the day I was born.
Loxodonta on May 5, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Horse out of the Barn?
bluelightbrigade on May 5, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Thanks. From the link:
Nuance.
Loxodonta on May 5, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Did they ever explain the fighter jet?
ORconservative on May 5, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I was reading a discussion on Scare Force One on a liberal leaning board the other day. Conservatives were making fun of Obama of course, but the liberal line was fascinating. Essentially, their argument was that it is a “lie” to blame Obama for this idiocy because he condemned it the other day.
This leads to a few observations;
1) It is amusing to see O-bots arguing that you can take a politician at his word like this. So if the President says he is mad about a scandal in his administration then automatically he must have had *nothing* to do with it. In logical land this does not follow.
2) Suddenly the President has no responsibility for what the people in his administration do. If we presume Obama is being honest, which we have no reason to believe mind you, this is still a major screw up by his administration and he deserves most of the blame. Bush, remember, was to blame for anything any NCO did the whole time he was President.
3) Liberals don’t know what the word “lie” means anymore. Even if we take the liberals new arguments that the president would never deceive the public for his own advantage and that the president has no responsibility for what his administration does as within the realm of reason, that would make blaming Obama, at worst, an exaggeration or an unfair attack – but not a lie.
18-1 on May 5, 2009 at 12:27 PM
This, from the comments at NYPost, almost sounds plausible.
Last Monday, Scare Force One mysteriously strafed lower Manhattan, the financial district of New York. At the time this bizarre, and probably criminal, behavior made no sense whatsoever…other than
it terrorized tens of thousands, or perhaps millions, of people as word of the air-space breech became known.
But in the fullness of one week, the real reason might be slapping us in the face. Since the strafing we learn that Obama threatened to conduct a smear campaign against a major lender to Chrysler if the
company wouldn’t go along with his lowball offer.
That was folowed by Obama saying in his own words that he was going to make Wall Street less important -as if it were the president’s sworn duty tomanipulate the private sector.
It’s now clear that the strafing was a physical shot across the bow of Wall Street, letting them know he could and would do anything to destroy the Captains of industry and all its minions.
The crazed flight is now looking like a kinder, gentler, softer version of Kristallnacht. The purpose of Kristallnacht was to instill fear and demonstrate raw power. The purpose of the ‘terrorflight’ was
to do the same.
At first, we asked ourselves how could the White House not know that such an act would terrify the residents of Manhattan. Now it’s clear
they did know, just as any 8th grader at any lower Manhattan public school would be able to tell you. It was Obama’s intention all along to frighten and intimidate Wall Street.
They got his calling card last week on April 27, 2009. He’s coming for you, and he’s not restricted by law, only by his own desires.
It’s important that this dangerous man be called to account for his despotic deeds. If not, we could be reliving 1938 all over again, only this time the tyrant is our own.
MarkABinVA on May 5, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Do as I say or else, huh?
clnurnberg on May 5, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Well, I suppose if Rahmbo is fond of sending dead fish, sending Air Force One to Wall Street is certainly plausible.
ORconservative on May 5, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Of course he’s not been fired. Good arse kisser, subservient, obedient, drones are hard to come by, aren’t they?
capejasmine on May 5, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Transparency is such a breath of fresh air…
d1carter on May 5, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Tomorrow’s headline: Republicans Compromise National Security By Demanding Release of Flyover Photos
LibTired on May 5, 2009 at 12:36 PM
[coldwarrior on May 5, 2009 at 12:11 PM]
I’d love to see a prepared FOIA request for the photos in downloadable pdf format that all one need do is print, sign and mail in. Ten million FOIA’s sent in would help pry them loose.
Dusty on May 5, 2009 at 12:36 PM
FOIA
FOIA
FOIA
FOIA
FOIA
FOIA
FOIA
Make the WH either give up the goods or put down in writing that somehow these pix are vital to national security and thus exempt from disclosure. The press wont do it. Also ask WHO WAS ON THE PLANE???
Mike D. on May 5, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Not classified, but not available to the public.
Nice.
cs89 on May 5, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Thanks for sharing that.
TheBigOldDog on May 5, 2009 at 12:42 PM
“
”
Arlen Specter
Justrand on May 5, 2009 at 12:44 PM
This whole thing stinks of bad fish, IMV.
petefrt on May 5, 2009 at 12:45 PM
FROM American Spectator blog comments:
ExTex on May 5, 2009 at 12:50 PM
The Freedom of Information Act should be used to the fullest extent. I want to see them in the next presidential campaign ads…by Republicans.
Star20 on May 5, 2009 at 12:51 PM
I’m sure these photos are just so shockingly graphic that we must be protected from them. Thank you, Dear Leader!
Justrand on May 5, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Not classified, but not available to the public.
Nice.
cs89 on May 5, 2009 at 12:40 PM
The photos are under double secret probation.
Can we see them? No. Why not? Because. Because why? Because, that’s why.
Bishop on May 5, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Answer:
baldilocks on May 5, 2009 at 12:55 PM
I guess we’ll just have to vote Obama out quickly so the next administration can let us see those pictures.
HotWeaver on May 5, 2009 at 12:59 PM
I just emailed my congresscritters, Kit Bond, Clair McCaskill and Sam Graves asking them to look into this. I’ll keep you posted on any responses I get. (Don’t hold your breath, though).
missouriyankee on May 5, 2009 at 1:01 PM
FOIA Requests can be found here.
Will be sending mine in tommorrow’s mail.
Push back , folks.
coldwarrior on May 5, 2009 at 1:06 PM
As you work through the FOIA generator…address it to Executive Office of the President.
coldwarrior on May 5, 2009 at 1:09 PM
The buck has to stop way before Obama because Mr. Obama, as he constantly reminds us doesn’t look like anyone on those bucks in circulation. But I could fairly prognosticate that should Mr. Obama last eight years with the dems in control (urgh) in 2019 the dems will do their best to pass a bill to put Obama’s face on currency in the name of diversity.
eaglewingz08 on May 5, 2009 at 1:15 PM
BTW the WH has been denying FOIA requests on this.
OT it has been reported on Curtis Sliwa that Mexico, in the midst of this supposedly horrendous swine flu epidemic/ pandemic/obamademic, has legalized ALL drugs, crystal meth, heroin, cocaine, speed, uppers, downers, marijuana, you name it. It is a horrific enterprise that Mexico has boarded but for border crossings this is even worse as our BP will be faced with real combat as they attempt to stop the poisons from entering the country.
eaglewingz08 on May 5, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Yes. His visage will grace the new billion dollar bill. Should be enough for a loaf of bread. Maybe.
LibTired on May 5, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Got email from an Air Force Lt. Col. this AM.
There were no passengers on board, though there was even more stupidity than it first appeared.
Seems likely that at least one F-16 flying drag came all the way from Alabama, because of race.
No, I’m not kidding…
Bob Owens on May 5, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Let’s all remember to keep making fun of everyone who wanted to see his birth certificate, too.
TexasDan on May 5, 2009 at 1:31 PM
The adults are in charge (of the shredder).
/getalife
omnipotent on May 5, 2009 at 1:33 PM
That’s the catch, right there. Now that all eyes would be on that photo, it would come out that the whole photo op was set up simply for Obama to play the race card.
He doesn’t want that press on top of everything else, so the photos won’t be released.
Unbelieveable.TexasDan on May 5, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Does this mean I need to have a security clearance to see the George Lucas Tuskeegee Airmen movie?
Nat Hound on May 5, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Got email from an Air Force Lt. Col. this AM.
There were no passengers on board, though there was even more stupidity than it first appeared.
Seems likely that at least one F-16 flying drag came all the way from Alabama, because of race.
No, I’m not kidding…
Bob Owens on May 5, 2009 at 1:20 PM
TheBigOldDog on May 5, 2009 at 1:37 PM
I guess they feel they will do more damage to the country them the CIA memo’s they released. :-)
JeffinSac on May 5, 2009 at 1:37 PM
It’s the Lucas movie. It has to be.
Obama is trying to save his Hollywood friends from tanking a multi-hundred million dollar film because of his “Scare Force One” antics. Would you go see the movie that terrorized New York?
Maybe the film is unusable because the action of the the “extras” in the background?
Nat Hound on May 5, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Surely there are photos of people fleeing the building.
AnninCA on May 5, 2009 at 1:43 PM
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