Al Quaida is alive in Geneva ???

[dterrick 0]

OK, I didn't see this posted yet but WTF was this guy thinking? [copied from my local subscriber service ]

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Prankster 'absolutely stupid'
Air-traffic controller caused near shootdown

Sat Jun 28 2003




ZURICH, Switzerland -- A Swiss air-traffic controller jokingly put an "al-Qaida" label on a French helicopter that strayed into restricted air space during the Group of Eight summit, nearly leading to a shootdown by the French air force, officials confirmed yesterday.
The unidentified controller put the tag on his radar screen during the June 1-3 meeting in Evian, France, on Lake Geneva, said Patrick Herr, spokesman for the air traffic firm Skyguide.

Herr confirmed a report on a Swiss-German television news program that the French military picked up the label on its own radar and immediately scrambled Mirage fighter jets.

Only at the last moment, when they were ready to shoot down the intruder, did the fighter pilots realize it was an innocent French transportation helicopter, officials said.

The Swiss-French border runs down the middle of the lake and authorities on both sides were co-operating to protect the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Oswald Sigg, spokesman for the Swiss Defence Department, described the incident as "certainly something bad" with potentially "disastrous consequences." Sigg said Swiss Defence Minister Samuel Schmid had ordered an inquiry.

Herr said the air-traffic controller admitted the prank was "absolutely stupid" and had been suspended from duty pending a disciplinary proceeding.

Skyguide, the majority of which is owned by the Swiss government was controlling the airspace in southern Germany last July when 71 people were killed in the crash of Russian charter jetliner and a cargo plane.

A Skyguide controller told the Russian plane to descend to avoid a collision with the cargo plane but that kept the charter jet on collision course with the cargo plane, which was descending in accordance with its collision-avoidance equipment.

-- Associated Press

wonder what "our STA" would say about that

Dave

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[CrazyIvan 0]

A token of 'European' humor.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[juanesky 0]

Yes, let the great European nations enlighten this continent.

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Hah, you guys have no sense of humour, what the hell does the 'Swiss defence department' do all day anyways? Make novelty knives?

Besides, everybody knows AQ were destroyed, in Afghanistan, weren't they?

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[FliegendeWolf 0]

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Yes, let the great European nations enlighten this continent.

The great European nations personified, of course, by one individual's prank, about which he has admitted it was stupid, and has been punished for by his supervisors.

Surely an enlightened nation would know better than to base their opinion of a large and diversely populated region on the chastised and atoned-for actions of an individual.

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[juanesky 0]

Well, after all the ranting they do have against the US, (Mostly France and Germany), it is for real, and not in an expression of one sole individual.

It is not an understatment, as we all are susceptible to terrible mistakes.....We all have and we are all far from being perfect....

Just my 2cts.

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[Remster 30]

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weren't they?

bawaaahaaaaaa... but of course!

Remster

[FliegendeWolf 0]

A) There are at least 44 countries in Europe. You mention 2. Once again, you are judging the whole based on the minority.

B) What on earth do US/German and US/France foreign relations have to do with a Swiss Air Traffic Controller?

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[juanesky 0]

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A) There are at least 44 countries in Europe. You mention 2. Once again, you are judging the whole based on the minority.
for your information there is actually 50 countries in Europe, 15 in the EUROPEAN UNION


B) What on earth do US/German and US/France foreign relations have to do with a Swiss Air Traffic Controller?

It has nothing to do with any particular country, but as a general interpretation of the attitude of most EUROPEANS towards the AMERICAS in general. I am not saying that all the people from EUROPE are like that, but every single country there has had an issue with nationality/ethniticty so fierce, they have actually (I think there are to WW as fact) managed to kill more people throughout the ages
and instill, most of the population idea is that they are trully more civilized than any american country (with the american being as a whole continent).

You will probably discuss and argue that I am generalizing, which is mostly true, but in my honest opinion, the reality is that most of the countries in EUROPE, including FRANCE and GERMANY, will have somewhat of a lookdown attitude from anyone coming from here. In some sarcastic way or another. I speak this from first hand experience since I did live in 4 countries in that continent, and travelled about 20 more. So don't tell me they are not prejudiced over there, being hispanic, that is something I did encounter A LOT.

Get it?

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[Faber 0]

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A token of 'European' humor

well i can see abit of fun in it but i also see the other side of the coin

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[juanesky 0]

Faber, no intention to discredit any good people anywhere in this world. Just stating that i usually get upset when people deny that there are not any imperfections in their society-culture-whatever makes their clock tick....

Blue skies!

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[FliegendeWolf 0]

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Get it?

Nope.

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A) There are at least 44 countries in Europe. You mention 2. Once again, you are judging the whole based on the minority.
for your information there is actually 50 countries in Europe, 15 in the EUROPEAN UNION

I wrote "at least" meaning that there could be more. 50 is subsumed in "at least 44."

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B) What on earth do US/German and US/France foreign relations have to do with a Swiss Air Traffic Controller?

It has nothing to do with any particular country, but as a general interpretation of the attitude of most EUROPEANS towards the AMERICAS in general. I am not saying that all the people from EUROPE are like that, but every single country there has had an issue with nationality/ethniticty so fierce, they have actually (I think there are to WW as fact) managed to kill more people throughout the ages
and instill, most of the population idea is that they are trully more civilized than any american country (with the american being as a whole continent).

You will probably discuss and argue that I am generalizing, which is mostly true, but in my honest opinion, the reality is that most of the countries in EUROPE, including FRANCE and GERMANY, will have somewhat of a lookdown attitude from anyone coming from here. In some sarcastic way or another. I speak this from first hand experience since I did live in 4 countries in that continent, and travelled about 20 more. So don't tell me they are not prejudiced over there, being hispanic, that is something I did encounter A LOT.

You concede that you are generalizing. Fine. However, I reiterate my second question: What does any of this have to do with an air traffic controller in Switzerland?

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[billvon 3,114]

>Besides, everybody knows AQ were destroyed, in Afghanistan, weren't they?

I thought they were destroyed in Iraq. Perhaps we'll get them in Iran.

[juanesky 0]

Well, if you don't get to read the trheads, I wil have to let you read it.....one comment crazyIvan made was about a little EUROPEAN HUMOR.....

If you are blind or do not understand the captions and letters, then it is not my problem pal....Blue skies.

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[diverdriver 7]

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>Besides, everybody knows AQ were destroyed, in Afghanistan, weren't they?

I thought they were destroyed in Iraq. Perhaps we'll get them in Iran.

That's it. BillVon has now opened the door to start the Iran jokes! Course, it's no joke. My uncle sat off the coast of Iran in 1980 during the hostage crisis. It's all very, very real.

[Faber 0]

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most of the countries in EUROPE, including FRANCE and GERMANY, will have somewhat of a lookdown attitude from anyone coming from here

Well i guess it goes both ways,lucky it aint all bad,in that case you would have war.

Most European has their oppinion as we have the rare oppertunity to stand on the side line and see how USA act in genneral.
We then have our own humor,which we gladly use,laugh whith us,dont look at evry thing in a black/dark way

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[juanesky 0]

Agreed, but just in case......blue skies!

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[Faber 0]

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>Besides, everybody knows AQ were destroyed, in Afghanistan, weren't they?

I thought they were destroyed in Iraq. Perhaps we'll get them in Iran.

funny guy,and from the US

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[Faber 0]

blue skies mate

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[skreamer 1]

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So don't tell me they are not prejudiced over there, being hispanic, that is something I did encounter A LOT.

Yeah, apparently this is especially prevalent in Spain. And I know Remi (Remster) suffers from real prejudice in France. (but that is OK because I don't like him either...)

[FliegendeWolf 0]

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Well, if you don't get to read the trheads, I wil have to let you read it.....one comment crazyIvan made was about a little EUROPEAN HUMOR.....

If you are blind or do not understand the captions and letters, then it is not my problem pal....Blue skies.

Wtf? What captions? What letters? What are you talking about? There's no need to get flustered. If you mean to concede that modern American sentiment toward France and Germany has nothing to do with a Swiss air traffic controller, then just say it.

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[juanesky 0]

Wtf? What captions? What letters? What are you talking about? There's no need to get flustered. If you mean to concede that modern American sentiment toward France and Germany has nothing to do with a Swiss air traffic controller, then just say it.

[FliegendeWolf 0]

pm sent

A One that Isn't Cold is Scarcely a One at All

[billvon 3,114]

>>Wtf? What captions? What letters? What are you talking about?

>Pal, just as a word of advice, I hope this is not your attitude when you try to learn.

Which attitude is that? The one where he asks a lot of questions? That's generally considered a pretty good way to learn (at least, if the person you ask is willing to answer them.)

[juanesky 0]

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>>Wtf? What captions? What letters? What are you talking about?

>Pal, just as a word of advice, I hope this is not your attitude when you try to learn.

Which attitude is that? The one where he asks a lot of questions? That's generally considered a pretty good way to learn (at least, if the person you ask is willing to answer them.)

Bill,

As I was stating before, is just a matter of following the comments, where I pointed to CrazyIvan's comments, if he did not see it or read it, where it clearly stated EUROPEAN Humor, then I have no more to say.

Blue skies!

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon