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CNN Live Today

Government Holds Hijacking Exercises

Aired June 04, 2002 - 13:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Government officials are actually keeping an eye on the skies today as part of an airborne antiterrorism exercise. Experts from the United States and Canada are simulating the hijacking of a commercial aircraft over Utah and Washington state. CNN's Patty Davis is in Washington with more on that -- Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the mock hijackings of two planes are now underway, and U.S. and Canadian fighter jets have been scrambled. We don't know exactly how this will play out. The exercise is called Amalgam Virgo 2 (ph) and it's a joint U.S./Canadian terrorism exercise run by NORAD.

A Delta 575 with Delta pilots in the cockpit was hijacked by FBI agents as it left Salt Lake City this morning for Honolulu, and is being diverted to Elmendorf Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska. The other plane in the simulated hijacking, a Navy C9 acting as a commercial airliner took off from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington states and it's headed to Vancouver International Airport. The fighter jets scrambled...

(AUDIO GAP)

...two different scenarios, forcing the hijacked aircraft to land, or what in reality is the last resort, shooting them down. That of course will not happen here.

Now this mock hijacking was planned before September 11. There are 1,500 participants, no live fire though, no paying passengers, and NORAD says the hijack exercise does not mean that they expect another hijacking soon. Simply meant to test and improve communication coordination between the U.S. and Canada, the FAA, the FBI, the airlines should another hijacking occur -- Carol.

LIN: Patty, with all this emphasis on security and secrecy, why is it that these officials wanted to go public with this exercise?

DAVIS: Well, it is interesting, Carol. We're not going to hear anything about this. They're not going to tell us what happened and this -- we're not allowed to shoot any bit of this. The press not invited. They're keeping this a big secret.

But NORAD did go public with the simulated hijacking, because it doesn't want the public to panic, basically. It is using clear air traffic control lines, so its channel is open to other air traffic controllers, other pilots, who might be able to hear what is happening. They don't want people to panic when they hear -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much. Patty Davis with that from Washington, D.C.

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