The Russian military wouldn't hesitate to shoot down an airliner hijacked by terrorists, the air force chief said Friday, but added that authorities would only do so after becoming firmly convinced that the plane poses a real terror threat. «If a plane on a regular flight coming from a foreign country approaches certain facilities and disobeys our orders, that is if its crew is replaced by terrorists, then we will certainly take steps to shoot it down,» Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov said in remarks broadcast by Rossiya state television. «But it would be silly to immediately shoot it down ... if some drunken man jokes he is a terrorist,» Mikhailov added. A new anti-terrorism law passed earlier this year allows the military to shoot down hijacked planes or planes being used by terrorists and attack ships being used in a terrorist act. Shooting the planes or ships is permitted even if hostages are on board, the Associated Press reported. A separate law has strengthened aviation security following recent terrorist attacks, including a measure to allow armed air marshals to be deployed on flights. Suicide bombers blew up two Russian passenger jets that exploded almost simultaneously in the air on August 24, 2004, killing all 90 people on board. Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, who claimed responsibility for the twin bombings and numerous other terror attacks in Russia, was killed in an explosion last month.
