Many terrorist groups possess shoulder-launched missiles that could be used to shoot down civilian aircraft, a U.S. security official said Tuesday. Stephen McHale, deputy administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, told trade and security officials at a regional conference in Thailand that shoulder-launched missiles such as the Stinger and the SA-7 are believed to be in the hands of al-Qaeda and about two dozen other terrorist or guerrilla groups. Shoulder-fired missiles can shoot down aircraft at an elevation of more than 11,500 feet, McHale said. The last such attempt was made against an Israeli airliner leaving Mombasa, Kenya, in November. That missile missed. Shooting down airliners ”could wreak havoc on the tourism industry of the entire region and seriously damage commerce,” McHale said. Full Story
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