The sync is the give-away

Another terrible and tragic loss of life and property, this time in Russia, as two airlines crash into fields almost simultaneously. (G&M story here: Workers search for clues in Russian airline crashes) I'm not one for conspiracy theory, and try not to jump to (ocassionally obvious) conclusions. But in this instance the early, though as yet unconfirmed evidence that one of the planes issued a distress signal used to indicate a hijacking added to the unnatural and highly unlikely synchronization of the planes' end is adequate to point to a plot.

As yet no terrorists have taken credit for this unholy (obvious Judeo-Christian position here, and backhanded slap at what *might* yet prove to be an al-Qaeda carried-out or inspired act) calamity. That is peculiar because one key element of terrorism is to take credit and assure those being terrorized that someone has wreaked this havoc, with the subtext that "we could do it again." But, as my friend The Window Manager suggests, the passengers and crew may very well have interrupted and thwarted plans for projecting these planes into the Kremlin, etc. So, it could be that the terrorists are ashamed at the "failure" and don't wish to publicize the event as being theirs lest they become the effective "gang who couldn't shoot straight" of the terrorist underworld. That could mean being the brunt of many practical jokes and jests.

As I write, I'm thinking that were this an al-Qaeda operation it would show a serious lack of imagination. Which, in turn, would suggest that the Americans (and allies) have been at least somewhat effective in rooting out the creative elements of the organization's "head." That bit of dubious induction on my part might indicate Chechen extremists or others with a genetic connection to al-Qaeda only.

To greater minds.

Posted by Grayson at August 25, 2004 07:21 AM