WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2009
Coast Guard Training Sparks Attack Rumors
Reports Surface of Suspicious Vessel in Potomac, But Coast Guard Says No Shots Fired
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The Potomac River seen from a WJLA-TV traffic camera after a Coast Guard exercise spurred reports that a suspicious vessel was fired upon in the river, Sept. 11, 2009. (WJLA)
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Photo Essay Sept. 11: 8th Anniversary Terrorist attacks remembered around the world
Media reports said the Coast Guard had fired at a suspicious boat in the river but multiple sources - including the FBI, Coast Guard and DC Metro police - confirmed to CBS News that no shots were fired.
The Coast Guard said it was reviewing how the exercise led to TV news reports "based on overheard radio calls made over a training frequency" normally used only by the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard said such exercises go on every day in and around U.S. ports, and the Secret Service is not normally notified.
Erroneous live cable news reports on CNN and Fox had said that the Coast Guard was firing shots on the river. CNN reported the Coast Guard had fired 10 rounds at a suspicious boat, and showed vessels circling in the water - near the bridge President Barack Obama's motorcade crossed on the way to a memorial at the Pentagon earlier Friday morning.
The president was not in the area when the training exercise took place, the Coast Guard said.
A group for military families expressed outrage that the training exercise was held near the Pentagon at the same time families of those who died during the Sept. 11 attacks had gathered there for a memorial.
"September 11th is a day to remember the loss of 2,973 innocent victims in New York, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon; not a day to create an unnecessary panic near a terrorist's target," Military Families United said in a statement.
Special Section: September 11, 2001 - Eight Years Later
Departures from Reagan National Airport were halted as a precaution at 10:08 a.m., then resumed at 10:30 a.m., Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said. The airport borders the Potomac.
A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said federal agents scrambled to the river scene after the initial media reports, because the local FBI office had not been told ahead of time about the Coast Guard exercise. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the incident.
The confusion was reminiscent of an event earlier this year in New York, when a presidential plane was flown low over the city for a photo shoot and some people feared the city was under attack.
Coast Guard spokesman John Edwards said references to shots fired on the river Friday were picked up in radio chatter heard by CNN. As part of its exercise, the Coast Guard aired simulated instructions to participants to fire 10 rounds, Edwards said.
But there were no shots actually fired and no suspicious boats, Edwards said.
Mr. Obama had traveled to the Pentagon to lay a wreath in a ceremony commemorating the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
In late April, a huge presidential passenger jet and two F-16 fighter planes whizzed past the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan financial district as part of a photo shoot, sending panicked office workers streaming into the streets and evoking memories of 9/11.
After that incident, Mr. Obama said it was a mistake and promised it would not happen again. The director of the White House's military office resigned after the incident.
The Coast Guard is part of the Homeland Security Department, which was created in response to the 9/11 attacks. The massive reorganization was designed to promote sharing of information within the department and among other law enforcement agencies.
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Add a Comment See all 30 Comments
- On 9/11/01, the all-powerful bankers behind New World Order globalization unleashed their oil and money hungry military-industrial dogs of war to orchestrate the fall of 3 (not 2) WTC towers--the third, not struck by a plane, housing 3 floors of damning SEC records. On that day, we lost 3000 lives (with 1000s more to follow) plus 4 commercial airliners (with all on board) ... and stood by helplessly as something (not wide enough to be a 757) bored a hole in the side of the Pentagon. Yet even today, two elections and a new administration later, our Big Brother government expects us to believe that all of that masterfully-plotted and perfectly-timed destruction was accomplished by 15 Saudis and 4 of their cousins using nothing more than box cutters and big balls. If you believe that, or if you believe we have been told anything close to the Truth about 9/11, then I ask you to Google "911 truth" and "911 peak oil", and objectively evaluate what you find at websites like AE911Truth.org.
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- Oh my gosh. Once again CNN got it wrong. So much speculation and no one for sure knows exactly what went on besides the members involved. But everyone is sure ready to point a finger at the Coast Guard. Coast Guard members work their ***** of training to protect citizens who do not even recognize the job we do. People do not appreciate the Coast Guard until they need them. I can not beleive how disrespectful people are towards any military branch. People who dedicate their time to protect the country should be appreciated. It's so ridiculous... Training occurs every single day, so when something does happen and we really are needed, we can do our job efficiently. Too bad people and the media will always find a way to report and pass on the negativity.
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- Media creates havoc in with concocted story of terrorist attack and then seeks to blame the Coast Guard for their unfounded BS.
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- This is so disconcerting because the United States Coast Guard is the most underfunded, unappreciated, over tasked,unrecognized and yet the most resourceful of the military branches in the United States of America. Especially, when you consider many Americans do not know what the day to day operations of the U.S. Coast Guard entail or the fact that they are a military branch just like the Army, Navy or Air Force.
Shame on CNN.... - Reply to this comment
- Our safety is not based on our security and vigilance, but upon building strong relationships with the rest of the world.
We are less safe today than eight years ago, because our strategy is to blockade our borders, spy on our citizens, and start endless wars with other countries. We should have kicked the Taliban'a butt during the first month, then we should have sent constructive people out to help our neighbors around the world. We have done nothing to help anybody in the world, and we have practically destroyed the entire world's economy in the process of trying to tear down perceived threats. Osama bin Ladin may have initiated this cycle of events, but the US goverment along with the military have done far more damage than the Taliban could have ever imagined doing themselves. We are destroying our own way of life, under the guise of trying to protect it. The "reds" have played on, and amplified" our initial fears into an all out attack on American freedoms (privacy, liberty and justice). - Reply to this comment
- Do they think we are idiots? You do not stage or have a excercise near the President and no one announced this, not realizing the public is very skiddish on this day which is 9/11 Hellooo?? They seem to be covering their screw up which doesnt make sense. This is almost like the Presidents plane flying above and no one gave notice to this event as well. Get with it Coast Guard!!
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- Please read the article, He was not going over the bridge at the time of the exercise.
"The president was not in the area when the training exercise took place, the Coast Guard said"
It is however, very similar to the Air Force One photo op. He did not know about it.
It;s pretty simple. If you are the CEO of a fompany, you do not know what all of your employees are doing at all times. The president is the leader of the country but he does not make day to day operational decisions for the Department of Defense.
If the President of the United States has to be contacted every time a training operation occurs or every time one of the jets that serves as Air Force One is moved then there are serious micromanagement issues.
- Please read the article, He was not going over the bridge at the time of the exercise.
- It was Faux news that broke with the report that the Coast Guard fired on a suspicious boat. They clearly dramatized this ill scheduled event for what reason?????
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- by woeisme1 September 11, 2009 11:03 AM EDT
They need to ban that television station. (Fox News)
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You would love to have only Liberal Biased television news outlets, so you can brainwash the public more then you already do.....ONE conservative news outlet and you go ballistic ??? ONE !!!!
ALL the other are liberal biased and you can't handle one opposing viewpoint.....what a disgusting partisan hack - Reply to this comment
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- Brainwash!! DId I hear you correctly? My God!! You don't think Fox news is brainwashing us everyday!!!
- Hey you ignorant ranting scum sucking fool, the fact is you are wrong again! 80% of the media market is conservative based.
Don't even talk to me.
- And this is'nt about opposing viewpoints. It's about stupidity of scheduling an exercise like this when it was scheduled! Get a brain. You think you are so clever but you indeed are amongst the stupidest posters on these boards. Talk about a partisan hack! You make me wanna hack, fool.
- Yea, it sounds dumb, but how else are you going to conduct a realistic training excercise. When the real thing happens, it won't be at a safe, convenient time and place.
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- Training exercises on the morning of the 911 anniversary in the harbor?? Good planning there guys! Why not just have another Air Force One unannounced low fly over city & really pluck the paranoia strings!
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- Fox news is defending against criticism by saying that the terrorists are being warned on this anniversary that America is very much on the ready against any possible terrorist attack, even 8 years after 9/11.
What a crock!!! Fox News has steadily portrayed President Obama, as has reDICKulous Cheney, that America is less safe under Obamas leadership. Now suddenly when they screw up, they say we are sending a message of security to the terrorist.
They need to ban that television station. Censor them. Too bad. I am about sick of the extremism in this country. Screw their First Amendment rights. I could care less. What irresponsible and inciteful reporting as usual. - Reply to this comment
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- Yeah!! Let's go do a Chaves on them! All voices of dissent must be eliminated!! Maybe if we adopt a Chaves type Government he'll give us a good deal on some that fine Venezuelan oil!! Yeah, that's the ticket!!
No offense intended, but I will never advocate censorship of any group no matter how out there they are. I would much rather let people speak their minds & prove their intelligence (or lack of it) than advocate Gov. policies of suppression. Besides, I thought the lefties advocated letting Cons say what they think because it reveals their character & would be a benefit to the left. Imagine for a second that what you are advocating were to have happened say 4 or 6 years ago and all the voices railing against Bush & his policies were subject to the laws that you are advocating.
- Questionews
You think I care. America is sick of extremism. Whatever it takes to silence you fools I am all for. Your terrorists period. You like to cause fear. You're bullies. You're like little children who rant when they don't get their way or who cry and whine when they get hurt.
Give us a break. Extremism is destroying this country and I am just calling it as I see it. No BS from me pal.
- woeisme1
So what happens when your views are seen as extreme? (Advocating Gov. censorship of free speech is a pretty extreme idea) Should your voice be silenced?
BTW. As far as trying to label me as a con is laughable. Just because I don't agree with Gov. censorship of free speech doesn't make me a con. In fact, since liberals have been a pillar of free speech for decades, I would say that you are as far from a liberal as Pat Buchanan.
"The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error."
~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859
Do you have a worthy quote that justifies censorship?
I always like a good quote!
- Yeah!! Let's go do a Chaves on them! All voices of dissent must be eliminated!! Maybe if we adopt a Chaves type Government he'll give us a good deal on some that fine Venezuelan oil!! Yeah, that's the ticket!!
- Boy will the stupidity in this nation ever stop????
Who in their right mind would schedule an exercise like this on this date and while the President was speaking just a few miles from the area???? - Reply to this comment
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- by dont_trust_whitey September 11, 2009 12:46 PM EDT
Aparently Obama fled the scene like a little girl.
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How long did it take for you to make that one up?
- by dont_trust_whitey September 11, 2009 12:46 PM EDT
