Posted on 07/15/2004 6:19:30 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at womenswallstreet.com ...
Can you imagine all the junk folks would claim as medical essentials? Hide something in pill bottles or even in what looks like factory made foil wrappers. Then there's the diabetes equipment. I have one of those metal thingies that you put a seringe in so you don't see it poke you which would make a great gadget. A few hypos filled with the right thing could disable flight attendants and pilots. Wheelchairs, casts, artifical whatevers, etc. all should be banned. I'm only half joking but it's to the point they should make everyone fly nekid! But then there's the question of the cleaning crew or maintenance or surface to air missiles...
it will take more then that. the sheeple have the "it didn't happen to me" attitude. so the WTC was hit, but most of them weren't in it, so why should they care? and if a mall is hit tomorrow, most of them won't be shopping there. and then there is a judiciary in this country - how are you going to stop lifetime appointment federal judges who are accountable to no one, from changing course?
OMG!
I have printed it and
e-mailed it to nearly everyone I know.
BULLS-EYE. My absolute # 1 first hunch was that ("dry run" or not) the M.O. appears that different, innocent looking bomb making elements could be smuggled onboard, assembled in flight, becoming lethal when combined and detonated. It is extremely clear that all policies and practices we currently have in place are not "street smart" enough to PREVENT combinations of personnel and materiel to be assembled. To the extent that "PC" policies are in place, Congress must remove or reverse those "PC" laws and give the good guys the tools to protect our people, who have to be like sheep led to the slughter at this point. Seriously, I feel sorry for the people on board.
It is crystal clear that not enough was done before the planbe took off. This is a case study that should be examined in detail by all appropraite authorities and changes in our legal system should be made to prevent even "dry runs" and obviously suspicious "staging point" type of activity to ever even occur.
Below is a an excerpt from the article for those that did not read the whole thing:
"...Terrorist bid to build bombs in mid-flight: Intelligence reveals dry runs of new threat to blow up airliners
Islamic militants have conducted dry runs of a devastating new style of bombing on aircraft flying to Europe, intelligence sources believe.
The tactics, which aim to evade aviation security systems by placing only components of explosive devices on passenger jets, allowing militants to assemble them in the air, have been tried out on planes flying between the Middle East, North Africa and Western Europe, security sources say.
...The... Transportation Security Administration issued an urgent memo detailing new threats to aviation and warning that terrorists in teams of five might be planning suicide missions to hijack commercial airliners, possibly using common items...such as cameras, modified as weapons.
...Components of IEDs [improvised explosive devices]can be smuggled on to an aircraft, concealed in either clothing or personal carry-on items... and assembled on board. In many cases of suspicious passenger activity, incidents have taken place in the aircraft's forward lavoratory."
It is clear that everyone involved had enough common sense to discern that something was amiss, yet it appears we alre all prisoners of Political Correctness! Nuts
I can show you one way to build a bomb that will obliterate that plane in about 30 second with 3 small plastic bottles ....
One looks like mouthwash, one like hand lotion, and one that looks like apple juice.
It's child's play for a suicide bomber to build a bomb on the plane out of otherwise inert materials.
Left = UT
Why not? There are cameras and/or people watching customers in clothing dressing rooms.
I can only say that I am glad that I no longer have to travel for my job. After reading this, I just don't know what to say - except why does Mineta still have a job?
Around that time and day there was an emergency braking message on KABC Radio but nothing followed.
These weren't just "Muslim-looking people." Maybe you'd better read the article again.
This story just made the Schnit show out of Floriduh. Carried in San Antonio for two hours in the afternoon after Rush.
PC will not directly do the killing, but we have to seriously reconsider and reevaluate what policies are "helping" us and those that are "hindering" us in our righteous aim at protecting all of our citizens. Policies and procedures that "get in the way" of keeping innocent, virtually defenseless people on planes safe should be carefully revised or rescinded, where appropriate, and where certain patterns exist. The corporate sector has to constantly live in fear of pleasing everyone, complying with all applicable laws, and so on. Yet the Government must bear the responsibility of ensuring that Citizens are protected and has a moral obligation to pick up the sword and shield.
In this case, I think we have a case that leadership needs to come from the Government, in qualified cases like this one, so that the private sector has the political and legal cover to allow rational and prudent -- and yes, street smart -- preventative measures. We need to support political leaders that have their heads screwed on straight when it comes to domestic security.
I really hope that these suspicious activities are not practice runs for a coordinated surprise assault like (yet also unlike) the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
We will not have to worry so much about this if we let the good guys PREEMPT suspicious patterns, rather than allow the horse get out of the barn and then trying to close the barn door later.
Why do they need to be on the plane? It could of had a timer on it knowing the plane will be in the air in so many hours.
Haven't you ever heard of a rehearsal or a trial run?
I posted a story very similar to this based on my experience on a flight from Houston to Chicago. I was so completely unnerved by the events that took place on that flight that I talked to a friend of mine who is a FAM and he confirmed that they have had many instances of 'dry runs' being observed on flights. It did not reassure me.
On this particular flight there were approximates 6 to 8 people of Middle Eastern flavor. They were up, looking at one another yet they were seated at different locations up and down the plane. When we were 30 minutes out and as soon as the fasten seat-belt light came on - several of the men stood up and approached the front of the plane. My wife and fellow passenger sitting with us nearly came up out of the seat to tackle them. We were greatly alarmed.
It bothers me to read a story so similar to mine - and with all the flying I've done I've never seen something orchestrated like this. I don't know if I would have paid attention prior to 9/11 or not.
Thank you. I've been having this nagging feeling there was something about instrument cases other than the obvious.
This is a reason why I am not at all certain that if a terrorist attack happens here before the election that it will automatically be a boost for the current administration.
I quote: "The terrorists are smart enough to recruit fresh martyrs who haven't drawn attention to themselves."
TRUE !! That's their M.O. !! They are pouring into Iraq by the bus load and they will be coming here en masse. The extremist elements are SUICIDAL. They will have as many independently operating teams here as they can. Thank God (and GW and US MIl) for killing or disabling 75% of the original Al Quaida leadership personnel.
The problem remains: 1) spin off groups/splinter organizations; 2) "copy cat" teams and 3) disgruntled types coming at us in droves from the M.E. due to the Iraq war and other policies. Gotta keep our guard up!
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