oops! OR style trumps substance

From Suzanne Sataline, Jonathan Rockoff and Christopher Conkey in the WSJ...

As secret missions go, this one was a flop.

On Monday morning, one of the 747s used to ferry around the U.S. president was dispatched to the Statue of Liberty, escorted by a fighter jet. Assignment: Get some fresh glamour shots of the plane.

The Air Force said the flight needed to remain confidential...As a result, to onlookers Monday all across downtown Manhattan -- where the World Trade Center once stood -- the photo shoot looked like a terrorist attack....

Fearing the worst, thousands of people streamed out of the skyscrapers and into the streets. Some buildings ordered evacuations....

It was all over in a half-hour or so. Then the finger-pointing began....