Chronology of United 93 crash & its Shootdown Order by US military

The below timeline is to understand whether US military had enough information and time having decided to shoot the commercial U 93 airliner heading towards Washington, if it did not heed to divert its path. Strangely if not for the brave passengers of U 93 with all liklihood it would have been a close call between scramblers hoverng over Washington and U93 heading towards Washington.

Date : sept 11

8.42 : Takeoff

9.24 :Flight 93 receives warning from UA about cockpit intrusion.

9.27 : Last normal routine radio communication between the pilots in U93 and Cleveland.

9.28 : Terrorists Take over (Cleveland hears some unitelligable screaming sounds and calling for Cleveland center for help, but they couldnt determine from which plane)

9.29 : Cleveland center traces it possibly came from U-93 and find the plane to hve rapidly descended 700 feet.

9.30 : Controller from Cleveland polls other aircrafts in his frequency to make sure they too heard some screaming noises from U-93 and they too confirmed.

9.32 : Third radio transmission from UA pilots cockpit, "Keep remaining seated, we have a bomb onboard" received by Cleveland.

9.34 : Cleveland confirms to FAA of possible U 93 hijack. FAA raises this with Hendron Command Center.

9.34 : Cleveland is busy tracking the trajectory path of U-93

9.35 : Cleveland reports information about a possible bomb onboard threat to Command Center. Cleveland also asks Command Center whether any specific military opration needs to be launches and whether they can contact any neary military base for help.

9.36 : flight attendant inside 93 contacts UA, UA attempts to contact cockpit

9.37 : Cleveland observes U-93 climb 40,700 feet.

9.38 : Cleveland is busy from 9.34 till now clearing all other planes of U 93 way

9.39 : Forth radio transmission from U 93 pilot cockpit . "this is the captain.Would like you all to remain seated. There is a bomb on board and are going back to the airport, and to have our demands [unintelligible]. Please remain quiet." received by Cleveland

9.40 : Cleveland controller responds "we understand you have a bomb, go ahead" but no response from U 93

9.41 : Transponder is turned off, this makes Cleveland lose ceffective trackng control of the aircraft but switches to alternate means to track it on primary radar and information on visual sightings of the aircraft as received from other flights.

9.42 : Hendron Command Center receives info that plane had struck the Petagon and command center orders the 4500 flights to ground in the respecive nearby airport.

Mynote:Most successful, flawless unprecedented move in the entire handling of the hijack situation, is the order to ground all the remaining 4500 flights which were airborne that moment.

9.46 : Command center informs FAA that U 93 is just 29 minutes out of Washington DC

9.49 : Command center seeks FAA for a military assistance and intervention. This is 13 minutes after Cleveland requested the command center whether they can take militar assitance.

9.53 : FAA informs about the possibility to use scrambling aircraft is being talked about.

9.54 : Command center informs FAA, Cleveland has lot UA over Pittsburgh area. Soon command center receives visual pictures of u 93 from another aircraft and is 20miles of johnstown.

9.57 : Passenger revolts inside begins

10.01 : Command center receives info from other aircraft of U 93 struggling in air. The struggle was largely caused by the passengers fighting the terrorists inside.

10.02-10.03: FAA was sending information to Secret Service that U 93 was probably heading towards Washington. Secret Service was informing Control Shelter Room where Vice President was there about a possibility of hijacked flight heading towards them. In reality the flight had just crashed.

10.03: Flight crashes in Skansville, PA

10.07 : NEADS (North East Air Defence Center , a part of NORAD eastern wing (North American Air Defence system started in 1958 to intercept cruise missiles from Russia) got information from Cleveland Center about U 93 hjacked but was never able to locate the plane in radar as the flight had already crashed.

Mynote: NEADS was given the job of Combat Air Patrol and shootdown of any plane over capitol. FAA was given the job to ensure civil aviation safety fo airborne flights on Sept 11. They were the only two authorised agencies which had control and the fate of US Air defence system on that fateful day.

10:10 : Not knowing the plane has alredy crashed, military personnel wants to rconfirm with Dick Cheney whether the combat aircraft can engage to shoot out u 93. It was reported U 93 is 80 miles outside Washington. Vice President reaffirms the order to shoot and remembers his conversations with president for the go ahead.

10.15 : The military personnel again wants reconfirmation from Vice President whether to engage for a combat. VP again says yes to go ahead. It is being reported that U 93 is now 60 miles out.

10.17 : Command center advises FAA that U 93 is no more.

10.18 : Deputy cheif of staff wants Vice President to inform that he has executed the shootdown order. Vice President calls President and one last time again reconfirms to shoot down the plane if necessary and President approves.

Now whether NEADS or NORAD could have averted U 93 from crashing to White house is a question, in case U 93 didnt crash at 10.03 in Pennsylvania.

The revised timelines may probably look like this

10.03 : U 93 still struggling and making headway towards washington. It would be 120 miles outside of washington at this time.

10.13-10:23: U 93 could have arrived in Washington ready to hit White house.

9.09 : F16 were alerted and armed, approx 24 minutes after American 11 crashed in WTC.

9.23 : NEADS expects American 11 heading towards washington , when infact it has already hit WTC at 8.46.

9.24 : Langley receives "Scramble Langley, head them towards Washington, if they are there we will run on them. These guys are smart"

9.30 : Both fighters in Langley is airborne. NEADS had two more fighters from Otis which was hovering over New York. Langley fighters mistakingly moved towards east over the ocean instead heading to Washington.

9.36 : Langley fighters were 150 miles out of Washington

10.00 : Langley fighters arrive in washington (according to radar data)

10:06 :ITS QUITE POSSIBLE FOR LANGLEY FIGHTERS TO TRACK, LOCATE, WARN U 93 it would have taken 6 or more minutes and max of 16 minutes.

10.13 : Probable time for U 93 to have reached Washington assuming it was travelling at the maximum speed , using the shortest path to hit its target.

Langley fighters could still have a 7 minute gap , assuming they were right on the target U 93 with the assumption that Langley fighters were able to track and point the missiles at U 93 within 6 minutes.

HE-WILL EYE

Death of a University

I come from a land which had the world's first residential International university called Nalanda as early as 5th Century AD. Eventhough being a major Buddhist school, it did teach some ancient vedic texts including astronomy , astrology, science and medicine. Today there is no reputed University in India which exist that attracts international students unlike the reputed Harvard which was started sometime as late as1636.

Nalanda was true to the conventional term of University compared to other so called oldest Universities which were pure religious schools taught in relgious places of worship. Destruction of Nalanda was one among the many losses of this land, subjected to muslim Invasion of the Mughals, not to mention the destruction of so many buddhist monastries and hindu temples and the carnage of rape and destruction which is uncomparable to holocaust. For the invasion ripped through from North to South for 10 centuries compared to the 4 destructive years of the holocaust of the Jews.

There were no degrees offered, no competition or grades but purely a place to learn, seek and share Knowledge which is now lost, buried and forgot. The invasion probably destroyed it suspecting as a fort or a temple of idolatory worship, eventhough am surprised unlike hindu temples buddhist monastries dont have any form of idols and that should have been common sense but again only humans have them. One possible reason could be the fanatic nature of believing other texts even if it be of science and non-religious to be against the word of 'ONE God' and thus infidel in nature.

Concept of Sangha could have been the very reasons for foundation of Nalanda. eventhough residential Gurukulams of vedic teachings existed even prior to the same, they cannot be strictly called as an University for it was only privelaged to a few and it required other qualifications unlike Nalanda whose gates were open for the seeker of knowledge and house of scholarly work.

Will this country ever build another Nalanda unmatched ? Mere military and economic strength cannot create it eventhough the need of which is established to prevent another destruction . When Dharma is protected it inturn protects, until India learns this truth and stands by this ancient wisdom, it will lose its uniqueness and voice, however economically and mighty it becomes. Has india learnt? maybe we can ask Kashmiri pundits who may have an answer

Raqs Sharqi

the fire within
moves those hands that fan
where love begins
to express as song and dance
 
the senses alert
to every move and sound
unveils the inner self 
in  its mystery that surrounds
 
lost in time
in this timeless dance
the spirt lives 
chained in everlasting trance 
 
the veal conceals
her ever joyous lips 
brightens her eyes above
amidst the sky bowing hips

dance and beats
hands and feet
moves and turns
celestial a  treat

as feet grips  
firmly more and more
mind just flies to
knock, dreams, paradise door 

every cell from
head to toe
would heal in rhythym
as the drum beats go

the costume lits
her soft sensuous skin
reflecting  a woman's true heart
glowing deep within

the music quickens
and those beats in its pace
there creates an inside stillness
lost in time and space

the enticed onlooker
has drowned himself
lost in her dance
she has forgot herself 

Its feminine art
in glorified form
the dancer and drummer
in oneness they perform

A beautiful morning

I woke from the early morning REM sleep to see golden showers of rain across the balcony. I felt i should shower in the nature to imbibe that freshness rather than be conditioned inside a bath tub to enjoy. I had today a great taste of nature's tranquility and it seeped inside me as well, there was a sense of oneness with nature and also a feeling of aloneness with humanity..strange. The drops seem to paint the grass lushfully green ...i wanted to dance with them and lay amidst them .. i was totally in the present and nothing else or any other thoughts could grab my attention for those few minutes. I saw the trees nakedly wet, and were totally inviting the showers unlike my body which seems to protest by catching a cold or fever in rain.

The tree to me stood to demonstrate amidst Sun or rain a lot of self empowerment , strength and resilience. As this peace started to reign, i was quickly running out of the luxury to enjoy it , by the pollutant called the mind, which wanted to runaway the present trying to plan ahead for the day with insecurity forgetiing being in the present state of fearlessness. I wished i shared this morning with you , the noise of the universe is one of the most genuine gifts we are bestowed with, all the time nature in its beauty dances around us , i have been a blind man and continue to be with inner fears, problems or thoughts dominating or distracting me . Nature seems very kind and compassionate and unperturbed by these commotions, it always seems to live in rhythym , even the heavy thunders, wild rains , stormy winds are nature'sunselfish angers.

I felt the soaking wet grass as i walked towards the car , the grass holding the droplets from falling into the ground and the tiny droplets forming a pearl of necklace along the blade of the grass . As i was feeling the blessed rain, i felt even the dress i was wearing was a direct interference with between me and nature. I was smiling , i was with them , the trees, grass, branches, leaves, drops, sound, sky, its color . I have never before enjoyed touching a tree and in feelings its texture , it was wet and hard, stood like a big brother holding its branches as an umbrella in whose refuge i could enjoy this beauty. The joy made me almost to cry , everything disappeared suddenly when the mind turned towards the I and the selfish inward thought that "Iam rying" crept in.

We are the World - Lao Tzu

Those who have most power and wealth
treat the planet as a thing to be possessed
to be used and abused according to their own dictates
But the planet is a living organism
a Great Spiritual Integrity

To violate this integrity
is certain to cull forth disaster
since each and every one of us
is an inherent part
of this very organism

all attempts to control the world
can only led to its decimation
and to our own demise
since we are an inseperable part
of what we are senseessly trying to coerce

Any attempt to possses the world
can only lead to its loss
and to our own dissolution
since we are an intrinsic part
of what we are foolushly trying to possess

The world's pulse is our pulse
The world's rhythym are our rhythyms
To treat our planet with care, moderation and love
is to e in synchrony with ourseleves
and to live in this Great integrity