CAAB

http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/03/10/1/17559560.cfm

Published: Wednesday, October 1, 2003

Terror watch quietly begins

Los Angeles Times

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- With little fanfare, the nation's first military command dedicated solely to protecting against terrorist attacks on American soil is up and running.

More than 750 military personnel from all branches of the service are watching everything flying over the nation, all ships chugging around the globe and natural disasters as they unfold across the country.

If anything suspicious arises, the fledgling U.S. Northern Command has the full force of the military at its disposal to confront threats in the air and seas of this country, Canada, Mexico and parts of the Caribbean.

"We want to take the fight to the terrorist," said Air Force Gen. Ralph Eberhart, commander of Northcom based here. "We are all about deterrence."

Northcom's heart lies in the top-secret center's basement. Massive screens show thousands of airplanes flying over the country in real time. With the touch of a button, analysts can get a plane's course, airline and destination.

Tail winds, speeds, pilot names and even cockpit conversations are monitored for indications of a hijacking. The same computers can also show every ship at sea and zoom in on those that might be suspicious.

"We can highlight any plane or ship we are interested in," said Lt. Col. Ross Brown, who supervises the situation room, as he watched the monitors along with dozens of uniformed military personnel. "This gives us a head start on any problem."

Beside him were folders marked secret that laid out procedures on how to intercept a plane, determine whether it has been hijacked and then, if necessary, shoot it down.

"We have a series of tests for shooting down a plane," Brown said.

A hijacked plane these days would likely meet a jet fighter dispatched from a nearby air base or part of round-the-clock patrols across the country.

Brown said the jet could shoot flares to get the pilot's attention or fire warning shots. So far, he said, he has had five aircraft hit the squawk button indicating a hijacking in progress. Each time, the button had been hit accidentally. If there is a hijacking, Northcom commanders will have to decide if the plane is going to land peacefully, if it's headed for a building or if passengers are likely to overpower the assailants before officials give the order to shoot.