Flights in Four Cities Detained; FBI Releases Passengers of Middle Eastern Appearance

4/20/02 | The Associated Press

[freeperfromnj]

P H I L A D E L P H I A, April 29 — A jet that took off for Florida was forced to return to the airport because several passengers of Middle Eastern appearance had purchased one-way tickets for cash, passengers said Monday.

"The FBI had a list. They knew who the people were. They were trying to track the people to their seats," said Jack Clark, who was sitting next to one of the people removed.

The incident was one of four Sunday in which air travelers of Middle Eastern appearance or descent were questioned by the FBI. The other flights were in Houston, Washington D.C., and Baltimore.

In all cases, the passengers were freed after questioning.

In Philadelphia, passenger Glenn Mattes said five or six men were escorted off the US Airways jet bound for Orlando, Fla. Clark said a federal agent told passengers the men had purchased one-way tickets for cash "and that's what alerted them."

"The agent explained to us what was going on. At that point everyone is clapping and cheering," Clark said.

FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi wouldn't confirm the passenger accounts but said the suspicious passengers were interviewed and released early Monday without being charged.

"We were able to determine their travel plans were legitimate and their identities were legitimate," Vizi said. "We have checked out the documentation of these individuals and everything is in order."

In Houston, several staff members from the Saudi embassy were detained when they tried to board a flight at Bush Intercontinental Airport. They were released after they produced diplomatic passports, Houston FBI spokesman Bob Doguim said Monday.

The men said they had come to Houston on a day trip for the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, who was in the state for a meeting with President Bush. The flight was delayed.

Pete Gulotta, an FBI spokesman in Baltimore, said airport security officials asked his office to check the names of seven Middle Eastern men boarding a plane at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. After checking, airport officials were told there was no reason to detain the men, who were going to Dallas, Gulotta said.

A group of 11 Pakistani musicians were pulled off a United Airlines plane and questioned at Washington's Dulles International Airport, which caused them to miss their flight to Los Angeles, FBI spokesman Chris Murray said Monday.

[Poohbah]

Gives the FBI a chance to bag everyone in one setting--after all, if they're up to no good, they'll BE on the plane, right?

[freeperfromnj]

Odd that it happened in four different cities

[shaggy eel]

,,, profiling, digital encryption and algorithms. These are the quiet growth fields now. In the foreground, we'll all be at the sharp end of profiling, most of us without knowing a thing. Expect this to advance to the point where planes don't leave the ground before authorities are happy with who is on board. At that point, stories like this will be tied to the infancy of the process.

[gridlock]

I just wish we would do the job and not issue press releases.

This all smells like a "test run" to me. Now, since we were so kind as to tell the World what tipped us off, the Islamabombers will know what not to do next time, when it's for real.

[Right Wing Professor]

If I were a foreign entity trying to test US security, I'd get a friendly government to have some of its dipolmats try various things that might trigger an alert, watch what happened, and if anyone got caught, claim diplomatic immunity.

How long are we going to let the Saudis set picks for al-Qaida?

[Dog]

Agreed!!!

This sounds like the security at airports is being tested...

[CJ Wolf]

it wasn't racial, it was cash profiling. Have cash, will get profiled, detained and set free.

Yesterday was the start of the new FBI profiling effort to look at all cash transactions. Using cash helps terrorists you know.

Now, is that a real reason to detain people? Let's be honest...

[Deguello]

"The FBI had a list. They knew who the people were. They were trying to track the people to their seats,"

To me, this sounds like the Keystone Dorks on patrol.

Oh really, they were just trying to track them to their seats? Then why let the plane leave the runway? If you had real bad guys on board and they knew the plane was coming back in, don't you think they would then take over the plane to do their mayhem?

Next time, have the Ticket Agent notify the boarding desk, to notify when the suspects have boarded. Don't let the plane leave the terminal.

[Dog]

Can you send this to Jim Quinn...???

[shaggy eel]

,,, don't think the US is exclusive when it comes to profiling. The first time I went to China, way back in 1987, I took a day trip by bus, via Macau. The drama getting thru the border was memorable for all on board. Pure theatre but they certainly made sure who was coming into their rice fields and run down towns - not that the towns were ever glitzy at any stage. Mirrors were run under the bus whilst we stood in line and were all but undressed. Consequently, I never carried out any terrorist action while lunch was served.

[VOA]

People will yell "racial profiling". Let them yell.

I'll never forget what one of the security managers at an airport in Israel said
to a CBS reporter's inquiries about "profiling".
"We are afraid of bombs, not words."

Nice to hear that the passengers were not put out with the actions of the authorities,
at least for the plane in Philly.

[jayef]

No doubt they just sold some smack and a big bag of Dank to some kid you'll see in an ODCP ad soon.

[Procyon]

Surely they must have a list of all Saudis given diplomatic immunity. And why bother Pakistani musicians who are touring? I mean, the Sept 11 hijackers seem to have all been pretty much supported by Bin Laden - they didn't have jobs like that

Note to Al-Queda: Next time have your terror teams carry diplomatic passports and musical instruments. Yeah. Dat's the ticket!

[Dog]

Look at this !!!

[Revolting cat!]

I was negatively profiled in Hong Kong a few years ago, after we gave away our crown jewel to the Commies. I was on a bus on some island returning from a mountaintop Buddhist monastery when the bus was stopped by armed soldiers. It happened in the vicinity of a prison which could be seen as the bus was coming down the hill. The soldiers asked everyone for their internal passports, detained a couple of characters, but waived me through, the only non-Asian-American cat on the bus. (Just kidding about the Asian-Americans.) I don't know why, but I was scared chitless while this was going on. They were looking for wetbacks not escaped prisoners, by the way. And the reason I was the only non-Asian-American was that I took a wrong bus which went to a train station near some drab, modern residential part of town, whereas the "right bus" would have taken me to other tourist attractions.

[mhking]

Now, is that a real reason to detain people? Let's be honest...

Let's see -- One Way Ticket -- Cash Payment -- Middle Eastern descent...

If it looks like a duck...