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 ...
I wish that several key vibrators from the ACLU had shared this experience.
Wow. It's stories like this that make me glad I decided long ago to never, ever get on another airplane.
read later.
I love it.
He's another one on the "favorite hero" list. Just ask barbcsr, lol.
They were getting their marching orders from Stalin and Stalin was telling them to support the war effort against Hitler.
Further proof of that is offered in Ann Coulter's book Treason as well as elsewhere. Until Hitler stabbed Stalin in the back by invading Russia in the summer of 1942 Stalin was telling his minions in the U.S. to oppose the war effort. They turned on a dime (at Stalin's orders) to support the effort once Hitler turned on Stalin.
It's hard for me to even conjure up a scenario whereby the same type of thing could happen again. Yes, it's a very different world now.
Put on the oxygen mask MM. They synapses are misfiring.
Please pass it on. Even though it is a Hebrew prayer (I posted a translation) it applies to every traveler for a safe journey.
You can even get a keychain for your car keys with this prayer.
China will not let any middle eastern men on their planes.
The ambiance of airliner potties is such that it's a wonder more don't dine in them.
Head's Up to a thread just posted - people overcome by fumes at BWI:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1172370/posts
LOL!!! OK, right!.
Ya know, this has needed said for a while. F*#@ political correctness. Its time.
I found BurbankKarl's reply to your thread of yet another incident that I've taken the liberty to bring over here.
BurbankKarl - Was talking with a buddy about an incident that happened here in Socal last month. The original call came in as an in-flight emergency, where all the PD units at airport were notified about suspicious circumstances on a 737. The plane was 10 minutes out, so there was some talk between the PD and the FAA (tower) about what was going on. Anyway, the plane landed and the police detained and questioned five "middle-eastern" males. What apparently happened was that the five guys were all flying on one-way, last minute tickets. All paid cash. All had no bags. All were sitting in different seats on the plane...but they kept looking at each other during the flight. When the captain put on the seat belt signs, all five got up to use the bathroom....that is what freaked out the head flight attendant. Anyway, all five (with five different state drivers licenses) were checked out against NCIC (Fed Computer) and came back clear....the airport PD also recorded the license plates of the cars that picked each of the guys up, and forwarded the information to the DOJ.
Looks like Syria is the new Saudi Arabia.
Syria has been a bigtime supporter of terroists of as long as I can remember.
With the few passengers who had the gumption to take action there would be no room for the marshals to get to the terrorists. That just leaves the pilots to fend for themselves. Is it any wonder they are begging to be armed?
if this is not straight out of 1984, I don't know what is.
"Good citizens, smile and be nice to the kind gentleman who is slicing your head off with a dull blade. Good citizens will not judge the gentleman, but will smile and be nice."
The loan officer who interviewed Mohammed Atta DIDN'T make a phone call after he:
1. Tried to get a CASH loan of $650,000 to "start a crop dusting business." He wanted to walk out with the case on the day he applied for the loan. His plan was to take a 6-seater and take out the seats and construct a tank inside the fuselage taking up every cubic inch except for where the pilot sits.
2. Asked her "What's to stop me from coming around your desk, slitting your throat, and taking the millions from that safe?"
3. Commented on the aerial photo behind her desk of Washington DC, specifically mentioning the Pentagon and the White House, and how the photo conveniently showed all the major landmarks in one photo. Then said "I wonder how Americans would feel if someone destroyed that city and all it's landmarks like has been done in my country."
4. Started throwing money on her desk in an attempt to buy that photo from her. Got agitated and threw more money on the table when she said it wasn't for sale.
5. Mentioned the World Trade Center and inquired about the security there.
6. Inquired about other national landmarks and their security.
7. After seeing a baseball souvenier on her desk, commented on the baseball stadium and specifically on the hole in the roof of the dome.
8. Said he was from Afghanistan and started talking about Osama bin Laden. When she asked who that was, he said someday he will be known as the world's greatest leader.
9. Walked out in a huff when he was turned down for a loan, when she said if he wanted a loan, it would have to be for a farm.
10. Atta returned a couple weeks later with another 9-11 hijacker... this time Atta was "disguised" by sunglasses and claimed to be a different person, and only the Accountant of the other hijacker. The other hijacker was now attempting to get a $500,000 loan for a sugar cane farm.
This loan officer didn't notify anyone after any of this.
No terrorist is going to be able to commandeer a plane today. It worked on 9-11 when passengers thought they weren't crazed enough to commit suicide.
ok, let me put it this way: how did you know the ladies could not run? (the answer is you dont. its fine, just say it and you'll feel better.) (357m-sw)
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