美国总统座机与战机低空飞过纽约致民众惊慌

Panic for 9/11 New Yorkers as plane is chased by fighter jets over Manhattan (but it was only an Obama photocall)
美国总统座机与战机低空飞过纽约致民众惊慌

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美国总统座机与战机低空飞过纽约致民众惊慌
一架美国总统座机和一架护航战斗机日前低空飞过纽约，造成了纽约曼哈顿区居民一阵紧张。数栋大楼还采取行动疏散楼内上班的人员。

　　英国广播公司的报道说，这显示“911事件”在纽约市民心中烙下的印痕仍未退去。

　　这次时间大约半个小时的飞行任务，是为了拍摄照片。当时美国总统奥巴马也没有在飞机上。这次的任务是经由纽约市政府和州政府协调的，但是没有对市民做出任何宣布。

　　对此纽约市长布隆伯格大为震怒，不但指责联邦政府，也指责其属下未尽告知市民的责任。

　　纽约警方则说，联邦政府告诉他们不要对外透露任何消息。美国国防部则说，他们并未参与任何的计划，完全都是总统专机指挥部的策划。

　　飞机当时飞过前世贸大楼遗址，附近金融区的美林银行、纽约期货交易所等华尔街大楼紧急疏散员工，并有数以百计的电话打进了911紧急热线报案。

　　白宫方面已经就此表示道歉。

For a city still recovering from the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the sound of a low-flying passenger jet is one that touches a raw nerve for New Yorkers.
So when citizens looked up and saw a Boeing 747 flying just above the city rooftops this morning, followed in hot pursuit by a F-16 fighter jet, panic set in.
Businesses shut down, buildings were evacuated and the city came to a standstill as they waited in fear to see if the Big Apple was under attack again.

But the fear turned to anger when they discovered the flyby was simply a photo stunt for President Obama.

Close flyby: Scenes of the jet flying low over buildings sent panic through New York, as memories of 9/11 flooded back


This is the moment U.S. President Barack Obama's back-up plane flew alarmingly low over Manhattan, sparking memories of the September 11 terrorist attacks




Close: This video-still shows how close the plane appeared to New York buildings (go to 0:35 of the first Youtube video to see this moment)

The planes flew over the Verrazano Bridge and past the Statue of  Liberty before continuing up the Hudson and back to Staten Island.
The President was not on board at the time of the flyover, and some businesses were informed that the photoshoot was taking place.
However, the general public had no warning.

A Boeing 747 flies low over New York Harbour, followed by an F-16 fighter plane during a federal government photo opportunity


The aircraft was chased by two F-16 fighter jets as it passed above the Statue of Liberty and Staten Island


Dominick Cadlioti, who works at the Mercantile Exchange, told the New York Post he instantly feared the worst when he saw the jets fly across the Manhattan skyline.
He said he was furious after learning it was all part of a photo opportunity and said the public should have been informed that it was taking place.
'It's so stupid because they tell you about every fire drill, but they didn't tell us about this,' he said.
Another worker Jillian Pievarello said:  'You don't do this to people down here after all we have been through.'
The mid-morning flyover made other traders jittery at the New York Mercantile Exchange, but a NYMEX spokeswoman said the it was not evacuated.


The low-flying jumbo jet was 'chased' by an f-16 fighting falcon over New York


The New York authorities claimed the city was warned not to inform the public about the photo opportunity.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said the plane and F-16 fighter jets had authorisation to fly across New York, including past the Statue of Liberty.

He confirmed local authorities were given a directive not to inform the public about the flyover and that any  inquiries were to be directed to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).


New Yorkers got a shock this morning after a jet belonging to President Barack Obama flew over Manhattan





An FAA spokesman said three aircraft were flying on an operation above the city and one of those jets was a back up for Air Force One, the call sign used when the President is on board.

'The Department of Transport co-ordinated the flight with FAA and we made the notifications to the city so they were aware that the flight would take place between 10am and 10.30am this morning,' he added.

See videos of the New York flyby here:

Obama: 'I have a gift'

Martin Luther King had a dream - but Barack Obama has a gift.

Or so he says.

The president was unequivocal in his reply to a Democratic senator praising his speech.

'I have a gift,' he apparently told Harry Reid during his time as a senator.

President Barack Obama knows he can deliver a great speech, U.S Senator Harry Reid reveals in a new book

In a new book, due out early next month called The Good Fight, Reid dedicates the epilogue to the President in which he tells of Obama's gift for public speaking.

The Senate Majority Leader said he was impressed when Obama, then a first-year senator from Illinois, delivered a speech about President George W. Bush's war policy.

Reid writes in the section called  The Obama Era he writes: ''That speech was phenomenal, Barack," I told him. And I will never forget his response.

'Without the barest hint of braggadocio or conceit, and with what I would describe as deep humility, he said quietly: "I have a gift, Harry.''

Reid said he talked to Obama in 2006 about running for president, and that Obama expressed doubts about his ability to win.

'I was resolved to stay neutral in the coming campaign, but I told him that in my view the stars could align for him,' he said in the book which is due out on May 5.

'If you want to be president, you can be president now,' I said. "I don't know, Harry," he said. '"I don't think so.''

In his new book Reid, left, reveals he was taken by the President's fine speaking skills