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.

[usurper]

They would have to get the explosives on board. There in lies their problem.

I don’t see your point. Explosives don’t require any metal parts, only a match and would not be detected under normal screening. However if they were planning on blowing up the aircraft why would they need to sacrifice such a large team to accomplish it?

Pure speculation here, but it could have been a training exercise for a time when each would board a separate aircraft in search of their virgins. This is going to be a long a bloody war and we are only at the beginning.

[MississippiMan]

What's so alarming is the fact that the authorities KNOW this exact threat exists, and yet nothing impeded all that activity in the air.

MM

[Badeye]

"That possibility also occurred to me, but ask yourself this: What kind of men would do such a thing, even as a joke?"

Small, petty one's with a persecution complex.

[Labyrinthos]

These men were acting in ways which they knew would attract attention and create fear. There was nothing subtle about their actions. So I'm wondering - what does that tell us? That they know that they are protected by PC attitudes? Was this whole episode just a case of taunting? Are they thumbing their noses at us because they know that even after 9-11 we are still not taking the necessary steps to stop them

A lot of people seem to assume that in this post 09.11 world, there is no way that passengers would ever allow ME hijackers to take over an airplane. Yet other than reporting the suspiscious activity to a flight attendant, none of the people on the plane, including the author's husband, did anything to interfere with that activity. I hate to be the one to say this, but I have no doubt that a team of 14 well-trained hijackers strategically seated throughout the cabin could withstand the efforts of the passengers to stop the hijacking. Sure, some of the hijackers might take a bullet from the air marshalls, but that's why there are 14 hijackers, rather than 5 or 6.

BTW, I don't think the Jihadists would waste 14 hijackers blowing up a plane. The goal is once again to take over the plane and to fly it into a building and cause maximum death and destruction.

[Chieftain]

This is a MUST READ. My heart was pounding. There is a real threat STILL in the TSA. Spread the word on this so thers will be aware.

[AppyPappy]

How many of those flights had a pile of Arabs acting strangely?

[pete anderson]

Her story is frightening but does have a few holes.

Do flight attendants tell passengers when Air Marshals are on board?

How did she see Downtown LA if she were sitting Row 17 A,B or C which is on the left side of the plane. On approach to LAX from the east going west Downtown LA could only be seen from the Right side of the aircraft.

[FeliciaCat]

Did you READ the article or just skim it? From the article I found the following VERY interesting:

"As boarding continued, we watched as, one by one, most of the Middle Eastern men made eye contact with each other. They continued to look at each other and nod, as if they were all in agreement about something..."

"The man in the yellow T-shirt got out of his seat and went to the lavatory at the front of coach -- taking his full McDonald's bag with him. When he came out of the lavatory he still had the McDonald's bag, but it was now almost empty. He walked down the aisle to the back of the plane, still holding the bag. When he passed two of the men sitting mid-cabin, he gave a thumbs-up sign. When he returned to his seat, he no longer had the McDonald's bag."

"Then another man from the group stood up and took something from his carry-on in the overhead bin. It was about a foot long and was rolled in cloth. He headed toward the back of the cabin with the object. Five minutes later, several more of the Middle Eastern men began using the forward lavatory consecutively. In the back, several of the men stood up and used the back lavatory consecutively as well."


"Suddenly, seven of the men stood up -- in unison -- and walked to the front and back lavatories. One by one, they went into the two lavatories, each spending about four minutes inside. Right in front of us, two men stood up against the emergency exit door, waiting for the lavatory to become available. The men spoke in Arabic among themselves and to the man in the yellow shirt sitting nearby. One of the men took his camera into the lavatory. Another took his cell phone. Again, no one approached the men. Not one of the flight attendants asked them to sit down. I watched as the man in the yellow shirt, still in his seat, reached inside his shirt and pulled out a small red book. He read a few pages, then put the book back inside his shirt. He pulled the book out again, read a page or two more, and put it back. He continued to do this several more times."

"The last man came out of the bathroom, and as he passed the man in the yellow shirt he ran his forefinger across his neck and mouthed the word "No."

Sorry, but NONE of the activity described above is "normal". I do a fair amount of travel for business and personal each year and if ANY of the above happend on a flight I was on I would be VERY concerned.

My first thoughts one this was that this was that this was a "test" flight. These guys wanted to see how passengers and crew would react and what the security was (if any) aboard.

The only good news in this article was there WAS Air Marshalls aboard. Somehow they knew these clowns were travelling and wanted to keep an eye on them. They were smart for not breaking their cover.

I'm not a chicken little and I dont see every ME Man as a Terrorist. I'm NOT a fool either and just because "nothing" happend doesnt make it ok.

[Alouette]

I flew on Northwest Airlines flight #327 from Detroit to Los Angeles

My first thought was OH $#!T!

I have a reservation on NWA flight 327 for Aug. 1. I will be travelling with my son, who is 19 years old and usually wears the traditional garb of a Hasidic Jew. (Not the same son in the IDF).

Should we follow "French protocol" and my son should wear a baseball cap over his yarmulke, and tuck his tallit katan inside his shirt?

Well, you FReepers pray for me and I'll give an account after we land safely.

FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel ping list.

WARNING: This is a high volume ping list

[jimbo123]

This was purely a surveillance mission and I would think they won't use 14 people for their eventual attack. They wanted to create a situation to see how American passengers and US security would react to:

14 noticeable suspects
2 groups of 7 men
1 suspect in first class near the cockpit
13 suspects spread out throughout the plane
All from Syria
One way tickets
Consecutive use of restrooms by the men

These men can report back that they were free to do what they wanted until after they landed and while the passengers were nervous, no one did anything.

They can also report back about their interrogation by the FAM, TSA and FBI.

This is not good.

[Betis70]

I've seen things out the right side of the aircraft while sitting in seat 'C'. So long as everyone else to your right isn't rubbernecking, it really is not that hard to do.

[ampat]

Maybe but no one on that flight did a thing.

[LizardQueen]

And if the flight was asked to circle around and come in from the other way then it's possible that the city would be visible out of that side of the plane. I've been in the air at times where we've done laps over a city for a half hour waiting for clearance to land.

LQ

[Badeye]

"How many of those flights had a pile of Arabs acting strangely?"

I have no idea. Based on the available data, however, one (1) instance does not a panic make.....(grin)

[pete anderson]

Yes, but to do so she would have to look directly at the Arab man across the aisle. She does not mention that she stared right at him while looking at DT LA.

Do you really think Airline and TSA policy is to have flight attendants tell passengers when Air Marshals are on board?

[Labyrinthos]

I agree this was a surveilance mission, but I don't believe they were practicing to blow up a plane. The goal remains to take over a plane and kill thousands and not hundreds.

[BigAzzHam]

Hey, here's a NEWS flash everyone - The government CANNOT protect you. Period.

[Steve_Seattle]

I agree with you and the other posters who said they wouldn't waste 14 men on one mission and that this therefore has the appearance of a training or reconnaissance mission. Their openness suggests smugness and cockiness, the implication of which is that they think we're still too stupid and incompetent to stop them. And they're probably right.

[Quix]

Insanity reigns in our land and skies.

Glad Jesus is my security. But that may mean via eternal life.

Sometimes, it seems that we are stupid, dense, crazy enough that we deserve to cease existence as a people and nation.

Sheer idiocy.

[go-ken-go]

I wondered about that, but maybe she told him, to calm him down, and make sure he didn't do anything himself.