Mike Levin: “in the November 3, 2003 edition of Air Safety Week a connection was drawn between airline safety and gun safety. And…”

“in the November 3, 2003 edition of Air Safety Week a connection was drawn between airline safety and gun safety. And, while some people may think there is no connection between airline safety and gun safety, the connection is serious. Attention has been paid to potential vulnerabilities of commercial aircraft to terrorists armed with shoulder-fired missiles. A more pedestrian but an equally deadly potential threat looms from terrorists armed with .50 caliber sniper rifles. The .50 caliber sniper rifle is among the most powerful weapons legally available. These weapons are not only powerful, but they're accurate. According to the House Government Reform staff report, the most common .50 caliber weapon can accurately hit targets a mile away and can inflict damage to targets more than four miles away. The thumb-size bullets, which come in armor-piercing and incendiary variants, can easily punch through aircraft fuselages, fuel tanks, and engines. These weapons pose a serious threat to planes both in the air and on the ground.”