Terror in the Skies Again (Absolutely Positive MUST-READ)

Womens' Wall Street.com ^ | July 2004 | Annie Jacobsen

[Rutles4Ever]

A WWS Exclusive Article

Note from the Editors: You are about to read an account of what happened during a domestic flight that one of our writers, Annie Jacobsen, took from Detroit to Los Angeles. The WWS Editorial Team debated long and hard about how to handle this information and ultimately we decided it was something that should be shared. What does it have to do with finances? Nothing, and everything. Here is Annie's story.

On June 29, 2004, at 12:28 p.m., I flew on Northwest Airlines flight #327 from Detroit to Los Angeles with my husband and our young son. Also on our flight were 14 Middle Eastern men between the ages of approximately 20 and 50 years old. What I experienced during that flight has caused me to question whether the United States of America can realistically uphold the civil liberties of every individual, even non-citizens, and protect its citizens from terrorist threats.

On that Tuesday, our journey began uneventfully. Starting out that morning in Providence, Rhode Island, we went through security screening, flew to Detroit, and passed the time waiting for our connecting flight to Los Angeles by shopping at the airport stores and eating lunch at an airport diner. With no second security check required in Detroit we headed to our gate and waited for the pre-boarding announcement. Standing near us, also waiting to pre-board, was a group of six Middle Eastern men. They were carrying blue passports with Arabic writing. Two men wore tracksuits with Arabic writing across the back. Two carried musical instrument cases – thin, flat, 18" long. One wore a yellow T-shirt and held a McDonald's bag. And the sixth man had a bad leg -- he wore an orthopedic shoe and limped. When the pre-boarding announcement was made, we handed our tickets to the Northwest Airlines agent, and walked down the jetway with the group of men directly behind us.

My four-year-old son was determined to wheel his carry-on bag himself, so I turned to the men behind me and said, "You go ahead, this could be awhile." "No, you go ahead," one of the men replied. He smiled pleasantly and extended his arm for me to pass. He was young, maybe late 20's and had a goatee. I thanked him and we boarded the plan.

Once on the plane, we took our seats in coach (seats 17A, 17B and 17C). The man with the yellow shirt and the McDonald's bag sat across the aisle from us (in seat 17E). The pleasant man with the goatee sat a few rows back and across the aisle from us (in seat 21E). The rest of the men were seated throughout the plane, and several made their way to the back.

[Mrs. Xtrmst]

Now that would have been prudent. "Sorry folks, I'm going to turn the 'Fasten Seatbelts' light on 'cause it looks like we're heading into a little turbulence." Then just jiggle the controls a little every now & then. If a suspicious individual decides to disobey, a little roller coaster action should fix it.

:)

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I will NOT fly on a plane with more than 2 Middle Eastern men on it. 3 or more get on, I get off. Period. I don't care how much money it costs me. I haven't had to use this rule yet, but I always check out the other passengers before I get on.

Don't fly Northwest Airlines from Detroit to any major city then. You'll be getting off of a lot of planes.

[Valin]

Watch it your makeing sense! That kind of thing WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!

[Conservative4Ever]

If they were assembling an explosive device in the lavatory and exploded it, what effect would air marshalls have had on the incident?

Exactly....the terrorists know the chances of them overtaking an airplane now are slim to none. They have moved on to plan B. Assembling bombs onboard with carry on parts for assembly from various persons on the flight. We however appear to be still working with Plan A. Planes as missles, and wallow in our political correctness. My interest was peaked with the statement that they were musicians and playing a casino in the desert. Ummmmm...that could be easily checked out. We have a few casinos in the CA inland desert and a few phone calls as to bookings would not be too hard. The terrorists are not stupid and very, very patient.

Red

[diamond6]

I agree with your position 100%

[pctech]

How about a day full of stiff drinks?!?!? I just can't believe we are concerned with people's civil rights when this kind of unusual behavior goes on.

[mercy]

I used to resent folks using the perjoritive 'sheeple'. I no longer do.

The sheeple have failed in their responsibility as citizens to make themselves aware. This is a requisite for any citizen even in normal times but now in this time of war it is doubly mandatory.

The Left are no longer my political oponents. They are my sworn enemy. The are agents of the darkness attempting to destroy my country and my civilization.

The sheeple need to wake the eff up! Maybe after a couple more 9/11s......

[Cold Heart]

Practice/training run. The MO is to have several incidents occur at once. Had this been a real attack attempt that was aborted, attempts on other planes probably would have occurred.

[jimbo123]

Northwest is also partner with KLM, the same airline that flew in the Syrian terrorist who was arrested in Minneapolis last Wednesday. Looks like Syria is the new Saudi Arabia.

http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S1124.html?cat=1

Almosaleh arrived on a KLM flight last week. A source confirmed he began his travels in Syria and stopped in Amsterdam before continuing to the Twin Cities.

A federal source would not say where Almosaleh's final destination was, but that source did indicate it appears Almosaleh had plans to travel beyond the Twin Cities.

One federal official in Washington noted, this is a "very sensitive" investigation.

[oceanview]

I understand, a while back I had some people replying to me who thought use of the term was too broad. I am sure on some issues, we all have a little "sheeple" in us.

But your description is accurate - there are just so many people who, across the entire spectrum of issues related to our society, are just totally unplugged. Maybe the author of this article woke up a little bit on this flight, we should all email her.

[beebuster2000]

Matt-
you are so right. how do we know there actually were air marshalls on board? I got to believe I would have thought about getting up and standing in the front as well, or confronting one of the guys and asking what he was doing. who knows till it happens what we will do.

[Badeye]

"Nothing to see here."

Other than the hysterics of the author, we agree....(grin)

Nothing happened.

[Quilla]

But your description is accurate - there are just so many people who, across the entire spectrum of issues related to our society, are just totally unplugged.

Amen!

[Steve_Seattle]

"I think its more likely this group decided to have a bit of fun at the expense of the passengers, nothing more."

That possibility also occurred to me, but ask yourself this: What kind of men would do such a thing, even as a joke? Perhaps common assholes, perhaps terrorist sympathizers, but quite possibly future terrorists toying with the public before they strike.

[MACVSOG68]

That is allot of trips to the bathroom for a flight of only about 3 1/2 hours, and the 757-300, is a single-aisle airplane, and not real big, so you don't normally have that many people moving around the airplane like this and on a pretty short flight. I find this strange and disturbing

Agreed. Everyone should find this strange and disturbing...

[pete anderson]

Based on what happened at the end of the flight and the presence of a number of air marshals on the flight, they were under surveillance.

Yes, it is odd that there were several Air Marshall on board but what is even stranger is that a flight attendant would tell a passenger that Air Marshals were on board.

Somehow, I believe that it is against the law for a crew member to tell a passenger that there are Air Marshals on a flight.

If her statement about the flight attendant outing the Air Marshall is true the flight attendant should be fired.

It is also odd that she was seated in either 17A, 17B or 17C which is on the left side of the aircraft and was able to see Downtown Los Angeles which would be on the right side of the plane on approach to LAX.

Did she crawl over to the other side of the aircraft on the Arab Man's lap to take a peek at Downtown LA?

With all of this said, I do not doubt her story but only point out some inconsistencies. After all, she is a writer of fiction and perhaps embellished the story a little bit.

[WestCoastGal]

I would have gone to someone prior to getting on the flight to report their suspicious behavior (whether they were or not) One or more of these F'n creeps is too many for me!!

THEN I would have booked another flight.

Talk about sheeps being led to slaughter!!

OR, are we expected to just get on and wait to see if the plane blows up or not?

[IamHD]

"Apparently not. Due to our rules against discrimination, it can't be done. During the 9/11 hearings last April, 9/11 Commissioner John Lehman stated that …it was the policy (before 9/11) and I believe remains the policy today to fine airlines if they have more than two young Arab males in secondary questioning because that's discriminatory."

"So even if Northwest Airlines searched two of the men on board my Northwest flight, they couldn't search the other 12 because they would have already filled a government-imposed quota."

Whewww! Sorry, call me a racist, but I would NOT have boarded the flight. No way.

[jimbo123]

This woman's flight was on Tuesday 6/29.

The arrested Syrian terrorist's flight to Minneapolis was on Wednesday 7/7.

Ridge's updated warning made Wednesday 7/8.

[pamlet]

Actually I've been on flights of 2 hours where there was a LOT of getting up to the bathroom. I suppose it depends on time of day - whatever - morning flights.. coffee.

I used to fly fairly regularly from San Antonio connecting in Salt Lake - that flight always had folks up and down the isle. I also think that now that airline seats are so crammed that a lot of people get up to "go to the bathroom" just to unfold their legs.