Regarding reactions following the hijackings on September 11, 2001, “even if the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] had decided within the first minutes of Flight 11’s erratic behavior and loss of communication that a hijacking had taken place and alerted the military, NORAD’s rules of engagement did not permit fighter pilots to shoot down commercial aircraft. ‘A hijack in the United States or Canada today would immediately be considered the act of a terrorist and an act of war,’ [NORAD’s Director of Public Affairs Major Douglas] Martin says. ‘On September 11 it was not; it was a criminal act.’ ”
– Popular Mechanics editors, Debunking 9/11 Myths, Page 21