Retired Israeli Intel Officer Warns of New Terror Tactic: Radicalized Pilots

A recent incident aboard a Flydubai flight, where an Omani pilot attempted to crash the plane with 174 passengers, may signal a new terror strategy: the radicalization of professional pilots for attacks akin to 9/11. Retired IDF Colonel Miri Eisin, a military intelligence veteran representing the Israeli government, warned in an interview with the New York Post that such an act is unlikely to be self-initiated, suggesting external influence. "A person does not come up with the idea on their own to crash a plane full of people, including himself. Someone told him that for this he will receive his 72 virgins," Eisin stated.

Eisin noted that unlike previous hijackings, including 9/11, the perpetrator was a pilot, potentially indicating a new type of suicide terrorist. This concern follows an October 4th call from Al-Qaeda urging supporters globally to carry out aviation attacks against Israelis and Americans, with a publication titled "Between September 11 and September 30" praising past attacks and declaring the US withdrawal from Iraq a victory for jihad.

Eisin, who served over 20 years in IDF military intelligence, expressed suspicion of Iranian involvement in the Flydubai incident, though she acknowledged a lack of direct proof as investigations continue. She suggested the Omani pilot, identified by The Wall Street Journal as Hamam al-Hammami, who had previously been banned from flying by Omani authorities due to radicalization concerns, might have been influenced by Iran or its affiliated groups. Israeli passengers heroically subdued the attacker. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the attacker underwent "Islamist radicalization."

Eisin speculated that Hezbollah or Iran's Quds Force could be behind such plots, potentially aiming to cultivate a new breed of suicide terrorists by embedding radicalized pilots within airlines. She emphasized that professional training does not immunize individuals from extremist ideology, citing examples like Bashar Assad and Josef Mengele, who held professions but were associated with atrocities.

Oded Elam, former deputy head of Mossad's global operations, commented that recruiting and convincing a pilot to intentionally crash a plane is significantly more complex than radicalizing a young suicide bomber. Elam, now a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Relations, also proposed that Iran might influence pilots through extensive anti-Israel propaganda online and elsewhere, rather than direct recruitment. He believes lone extremists, potentially influenced by extremist rhetoric and driven by mental health issues, could pose a greater threat to aviation security than organized cells.

Elam anticipates that the Flydubai incident will prompt governments to re-evaluate post-9/11 security measures, possibly leading to technological solutions, such as systems allowing crew access to the cockpit, to prevent similar attacks, as vetting every pilot is deemed impossible.