SF Chron: Air Force One data removed from Web [View All]

[Newsjock]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/04/11/MNGK3I7A641.DTL

Paul J. Caffera, Special to The Chronicle
Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Air Force and Pentagon officials scrambled Monday to remove highly sensitive security details about the two Air Force One jetliners after The Chronicle reported that the information had been posted on a public Web site.

The security information -- contained in a "technical order" -- is used by rescue crews in the event of an emergency aboard various Air Force planes. But this order included details about Air Force One's anti-missile systems, the location of Secret Service personnel within the aircraft and information on other vulnerabilities that terrorists or a hostile military force could exploit to try to damage or destroy Air Force One, the president's air carrier.

... The Chronicle also took extensive steps to alert the government to the order's availability on the Internet. Immediately after discovering the document, The Chronicle notified military and federal authorities about its existence. Nonetheless, a week after they were initially notified, neither the Secret Service nor Air Force officials at Andrews Air Force Base, the home of Air Force One, had caused the document to be removed.

Before publishing Saturday's story, The Chronicle again contacted Andrews Air Force Base and provided officials with the Web address for the document. The Chronicle also offered to provide the address to the White House. White House press spokeswoman Jeanne Mamo, when notified on Friday, said she was satisfied that Andrews officials had already been told by The Chronicle of the site's existence.

The technical order remained on the Web until Monday afternoon.

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