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 ...
The first thing I saw when I read the article from Donald Sensing was...
This woman is a reporter - she's on an airplane.. she very well may have been taking notes as all this was going on. I would think it would have been instinct for her.
Annie's story has a wealth of detail, so much that I find myself disbelieving that she could have been as afraid as she says she was.
It doesn't really matter whether I would be suspicous or not. She was--but not enough to get off of the plane before takeoff.
So the suspicous folks on the planes that flew into the WTC, Pentagon and Pennsylvania field deserved what they got because they didn't leave the plane when Mohammed Atta and friends boarded the plane?
This lady is exaggerating her story. That's all I'm saying.
And James Woods was exaggerating his story, too?
Agreed, but should be read by every male alive as well.
Our God-given instincts weren't given for no reason.
Cheers, Badeye.
Do you have a point? Write it.
My point is not to discount this woman's report because she is a writer. Barbara Olsen was a writer, too and gave vivid descriptions to her husband of what was happening on Flight 77 on the cellphone before her plane was crashed into the Pentagon. I hope you don't work for the TSA or we're all doomed.
Threat.
Oh, come on. You're not that dumb. Ok, I'll play the game. Here's 10 to get you started. 1) The flight attendant could have told them to sit down when the seatbelt sign came on for landing.
2) The pilot could have turned the seatbelt light on after the third potty conference on the pretense of turbulance and "accidently" made the plane bump a couple times.
3) The flight attendant could have become overly concerned with the frequent trips down the hall and offered to bring them ginger ale to settle their widdle tummies, and blankets and pillows, and adjust their light and their air vent, and all sorts of smothering motherly care.
4) The lady could have rushed with her little one to the restroom and frantically asked to be let in next because he was going to hurl if they didn't get back.
5) Any number of passengers could have played the annoying seatmate who gabs and gabs just to throw them off a supposed time schedule.
6) A passenger by the restroom could have kept putting his foot out or some item in the walkway and dared them to complain as that would start a fuss.
7) Other passengers could have watched when the "musicians" started to the restrooms and jumped to the door first and stayed in there for long periods of time denying them access.
8) Passengers could start snapping their pictures or making sketches of them. Or make obvious sketches. Or take out their tape recorders and speak loudly into them regarding the activities so the "musicians" know.
9) How about a group sing-a-long of "Onward Christian Soldiers"?
10) The guy who's wife was crying, or for that matter any other passenger or flight attendant, could have had a little face time with the next guy who dared to walk down the aisle that their behavior was suspicious and bothering other passengers (ask for a show of hands) and tell them they'd better sit their sorry butts down or else. And to hell with any of them filing suit because it's better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6.
I refuse to be terrorized, my little 5'2", 110 lb wife is the same way. We have been on only four flights since 9/11 but we are very watchful. So far the only thing that happened was a stare down with a middle eastern young man. He was making a scene with the flight attendant about getting a club soda. Of course he wanted it NOW, she explained that he would have to wait his turn when the beverage cart came around. A very hefty man from New York shouted, "Hey pallie, you wait your turn"! Every man around him was paying attention by now. I was sitting across the isle from him and he was very angry. He glared at me and I sat upright and gave him a good old GW "bring it on" stare with a little smirk. It was then he realized that if he moved an inch about 6 guys twice his size were going to "tie a little bit a his honor off" he settled down and began reading. Of course the New Yorker had to have the last word. He popped off, "Freaking Douche Bag"! The flight attendant later thanked all of us for our help but she didn't want any animosity between the passengers. I could just see the New Yorker saying, "I got your animosity right hea"!
The bad guys are getting the message, f*&k with the bull, you get horns! My sweet little wife had wrapped a "Sharper Image" catalog into a club and was ready to use it. The Sharper Image, who fitting and ironic.
It sounds like a dry run or intimidation at the very least and I think I would have fainted because I would have been so scared.
Please continue to read the thread. I am skeptical about the extent of truth in the story precisely because all the things you site.
I learned later today that there is a little cloudiness about the facts of thsi story. I do not like Arabs and I have many reasons, but IMHO this is either a hit piece or a fear propaganda piece. Time will tell.
Later
Yet you decided to read it after knowing the name of the site. It took you 4 whole pages before you determined it wasn't worthy of your time. So why, pray tell, have you continued wasting time posting and replying?
TERROR IN THE SKIES SAGA [KJL]
Michelle Malkin reports that the Washington Post has been sitting on a story on that Women Wall Street article I linked to earlier--sitting on a story like this? Michelle's also been confirming lots of the details in the WWW story. This sounds like another thank-goodness-for-the-blogsphere moment. Posted at 03:29 PM
The WASH POST is sitting on a story..
I refuse to live in fear of everyone who doesn't look like me.
Suspicious activity? Definitely!
Your casual attitude is not surprising for a resident of Minniescrotum. I would have refused to board the flight--certainly if my children were with me. If, for some reason I neglected to notice the suspicious traveling companions, I would have been overt about my concerns. I would have recruited the assistance of other red-blooded males and joined the group before the front lavatory and insisted that they seat themselves as the pilot had ordered--that their refusal to do so was a violation of FARs and placed the passengers in physical jeopardy. I would have been prepared to jump on the nearest raghead and incapacitate him if necessary.
In our war against Islamofascism, any security program without a racial profiling component is an insecurity program.
you mean, they are sitting on the story of the actual plot/plan/motives behind those syrians on the plan described in the womenofwallstreet article? maybe I am misunderstanding, the story of what she saw on the flight is already out, or are they sitting on a wider release of the story described in the article?
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