ABC on Tuesday published on its website what seemed to be a major exclusive story by Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross: Law enforcement officials, according to Ross, had been "on a heightened state of alert to a possible hijacking of U.S. carrier flights from the Middle East" -- and as a result the number of air marshals on overseas flights, particularly to Dubai, had in the last few weeks been "greatly ramped up."

But then, just like that, it was gone.

The piece, which ran under the headline "Authorities Were on High Alert for Possible Hijack Attempt" and was sourced to "one senior U.S. official," is simply no longer available on ABC's site. (It has been at least partially preserved on a few outside aggregrator sites.) But even though the story was taken down, ABC told Salon that it stands by the story.