I agree with a number of your points Rita. I too have a hard time swallowing any sort of deliberate inaction on the part of the administration.

However, when it comes to the absence of a security response by the Air Force or the Air National Guard, or any US military, I am deeply disturbed.

It is my understanding, which may or may not be accurate, that while the shooting down of a civilian airliner is wholly understandable, not trying to force one to land isn't. In other words, there was a security procedure in place pre-9/11 to deal with airplane hijackings, and airplane mishaps (that scenario of the dead pilot someone mentioned above, for instance). I continue to mind-boggled that in the span of two hours, on the east coast of the US where our nation's capital is located, there was simply no military response.

That really bothers me.