TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Speaking in an exclusive interview with Duffel Blog reporters, the Marine Corps pilot who secretly shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 admitted that the plane was much easier to destroy than the 9/11 airplanes.

“I was just a lieutenant back then,” said Col. Horace Griffin, a native of New Bern, Conn., recalling his combat air patrol on Sept. 11, 2001. “But it wasn’t just my relative inexperience. We also didn’t have a lot of time to coordinate. When Cheney and Halliburton gave the go-ahead, we had to scramble and shoot down those planes within just a few minutes.”

With the MH370 flight, Griffin explained, a longer planning time and newer technology led to a much less-challenging mission. He and his wingman were briefed and had time to rehearse for several weeks.