Quote:
Originally posted by dhamsaic
There was a case, not too long ago, of a guy getting up and heading toward the bathroom during the final 30 minutes of flight. 2 Air Marshals were on his ass like white on rice.
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There were not enough air marshalls to even cover every National flight - a rumor considered so reliable as to be reported by national news services and one reason why National could not return to a full schedule. How many have been added since then is unknown. However the numbers in October were 'yelling' an obvious fact. Since every incoming and outgoing National flight must have air marshalls, and since there were so few trained to be air marshalls, then opening of National would consume all available security. It still consumes most air marshalls.
It takes time to train even professional law enforcement people for the unique requirements of a plane. It takes time to ramp up. Since National now has so many flights and since every one must have air marshalls - a specific condition for the reopening of National - then who is left for Minneapolis, Boise, Sacremento, Houston, and Phoenix flights?
Congressman have reserved, secure, valet, free parking in National. They don't use BWI or Dulles unless absolutely essential. That is why National was reopened. Every major security agency in the DC area strongly demanded National closed permenantly. Only Congress has power to veto such demands. Listed were Congressman historically more interested in their own self serving interests than in those of the nation. Robert Byrd could have been added to this list if it would make one feel better. But the bottom line remains - if not flying to or from National, then it is extremely unlikely your flight will have air marshalls.
Had National remained closed, then the probability of in-flight security would have been increased by hundreds of percents.