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 ...
What are the caller's qualifications for her assumptions?
An airline pilot also called in earlier, and he found the story completely credible...
I agree with you.
I have emailed a relative and a friend this story. Both are Delta pilots. Can not wait to get their take on it.
It should be "required reading" for everyone who flies!
I'm appalled that the FBI let these jerks go so easily.
My bet is that the FBI will someday regret it!
TOO %#*&)(*^ much political correctness!
If you find out any more, let us/me know.
I'm not. I read it and made a judgement that I don't fully trust it. I made that judgement based on the way the story is written. Certainly, I'm allowed that, right?
I hope you don't work for the TSA or we're all doomed.
What is your obsession with the TSA. Do you accuse everyone you disagree with of working for the TSA? We may have to come up with a new version of Godwin's Law for you. Maybe Jimbo's Law of TSA Analogies.
And, just so you'll feel safe, I don't work for TSA...or the ACLU. Sleep well.
It's possible that they let them go but are watching them. At least, I hope so.
As someone else mentioned, I'm sensing more concern than fear by those who believe this story. I believe it and I don't scare easy (A pistol grip Mossberg w/ 16" barrel is legal without a concealed carry in AL and I keep one loaded in my truck.) The way this lady wrote this story is the way I talk when I'm with my friends.
I been in a few uncomfortable situations and can go on and on recounting miniscule details as I retell the experience. Oh sure, I'll embellish for entertainment purposes, but if I was talking with the law or similar authority figure, I could do it straight. I'm of the opinion that this story is spot-on and was indeed a trial run. I can only hope and pray these boys are sittin' in Gitmo reading that little red book right now.
Disagree. Knowing this now, the airlines could very easly establish a policy preventing anyone from carrying anything into the restroom, to be announced BEFORE take-off. If you need to #1 or #2, tools or packages shouldn't be required.
A "flight attendant" (used to call 'em stewards/stewardesses) could inspect any package taken to the loo.
Passenger to attendant, "May I skip to the loo, my darlin?"
The story is easily verifiable. If NBC does their job, they should have some other witnesses to verify her story by Monday. They should not do the interview without verification. I hope it is a hoax or even the wild imagination of a frighten lady. If it is true, it is chilling and points out some real holes in airline security.
Agree. but the government with all it's various overblown bureaus CAN bring things like this to light as it promised to do in an effort to help us protect OURSELVES.
I can't be alone in my increasing fear and prejudice of middle eastern men who kill innocent paeople and children in the name of religion!
The only thing they fear is violence and that will make violent people out of fearful people!
Muslims must speak up and take action about this or will face the hatred of free people everywhere.
I hope so too, but the sad fact is, there are many more middle eastern men than FBI agents in this country.
We have to get tough. If the Muslim community won't help sort out the devils, we have no recourse but to be suspicious of all.
I fear too much patience and PC attitude may be our undoing.
I want to live as long as possible to make peace with my God.
Better to not have to walk around in fear that my family will die at the hands of some stupid ill informed religious fanatic!
The Ex-lax story was just satire. It was inspired by a conversation last night with another conservative buddy when we were talking about this terror in the skies story. One of us said “wouldn’t it be funny if”…….
Some freepers understood that this was just satire, a few others it kinda slipped under their humor radar screen. If anyone thought this was real I extend my apologies.
I was refering to my earlier post # 840 which was:
The UN-OFFICIAL statement from the Middle Eastern passengers.
I am shocked that we were treated this way said band leader Benny Almuddin. We were simply 14 innocent musicians hired to play at the Palm Tree Dessert Inn and Casino outside of Las Vegas. What started as a simple practical joke between my musicians ended up being a very embarrassing and almost tragic event.
This whole thing all started at a last minute lunch stop before our flight at a Detroit McDonald's when one of the wind instrument players slipped some Ex-lax into the chocolate milkshake of percussionist Ali Shaheed, and then made a bet with the other band members how long into the flight poor Ali could last before ahhhhhh he ahhhhhhh had to run to the bathroom. The winner would receive an expensive new flute purchased at a New York shop, which is what was the object wrapped up in cloth. Then the joke was carried even further, way to far in my opinion, when cello player Kambiz, who had super glue hidden in a McDonalds bag, slipped into the nearest bathroom to Ali, and glued the toilet paper roll so it was impossible to unroll. The other band members thought it would be real funny to keep the only other bathroom busy throughout the flight.
I being the band leader sat in the front of the airplane in first class noticed the tom-foolery going on in the back and stood up and gave the members of the band a stern look, hoping they would sit back down and act like gentlemen. This is when Abdul the lead flutist motioned to the other band members to cut it out, with the motion of running his finger across his throat and mouthing No to the others.
That is what happened, I swear to Ala. I'm sorry if we caused any concern among the other passengers.
The air marshall will only make themselves known when things get deadly serious
You can't arrest a person for going to the bathroom .. and try profiling and you will have the ACLU screaming civil rights abuse
Hope they watch your "out-of-touch butt for a real long time. That would be funny!
I replayed the KVI interview, which I taped. Didn’t catch this the first time, but host John Carlson said, “Dave Adams, the Air-Marshall spokesman has confirmed her story and has supplied witness statements and other collaboration of her account”.
Exactly. Give me a camera, cell phone, -OOH, a laptop! - and I'll build you a bomb detonator that'll escape airport detection every time.
In this momemnt in time, no one, in their right mind, would play a pratical joke on an airplane!
I read this story a few days ago and we have since changed our minds about flying to Connecticut this year to visit family; we'll be driving instead.
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