Most commanders were also refused permission to brief their pilots until moments before take-off.
The most senior commanders are due to make their apprehension clear at a meeting of the National Security Council with the Prime Minister today.
Mr. Alvarez, director of the Miami-Dade Police Departeamt, and a team of his most senior commanders are coordinating things like equipment logistics and emergency communications similar to the 911 system.
"Most of the commanders are still men and some of them think a woman cannot command.
By that time, most military commanders were too old to pose a challenge.
In a separate development, Afghan Army officials said they were investigating a report from one of their units that Mullah Bradar, one of the Taliban's most senior commanders, was killed in fighting in southern Afghanistan on Thursday.
One union official said the department could ill afford to lose any more experienced hands after the devastating losses of Sept. 11, when many supervisors, including 5 of the most senior commanders, were among the 343 firefighters killed.
Although some of these senior officers were professional seamen, having risen from the ranks, most fleet commanders were high court officials, who would have relied on their more experienced professional subordinates for nautical expertise.
In a military career that spanned both World Wars, Kesselring became one of Nazi Germany's most skilful commanders, being one of 27 soldiers awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.
The whereabouts of Ayman al-Zawahri, Mr. bin Laden's second-in-command, and most of the Qaeda commanders, are unknown.
