Terror in the Skies Again (Absolutely Positive MUST-READ)

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.

If you folks have not read the article that started this thread yet, I think its a good idea to do so now.

I read this yesterday, and a drug rep visited my office not long after with an offer to fly me to San Antonio for a brief conference. I'd love to see San Antonio but I had just read this story, and I turned him down.

Here's some comments from Rod Dreher:

RE: MORE TERROR IN THE SKIES [Rod Dreher]

Kathryn, I'm hearing from a trusted source that the federal air marshals have thwarted quite a few domestic hijacking plots since 9/11, but haven't told the public about them, presumably (this is my interpretation, not my source's) because they don't want to unnerve the public. Frankly, I don't believe the government's story about these guys being Syrian musicians playing in a desert casino. That shouldn't be too hard to check out, though, and I hope I'm proven wrong.

This incident reminded me of something that happened near my Louisiana hometown a few weeks after 9/11. A friend of mine who flies in an ultralight aircraft club was at the club's rural "airport" (that is, a big shed and a field long enough to take off from) one Saturday in October, 2001, when they were approached by a blonde man with a foreign accent. The man drove up and asked if someone would be willing to take him up to photograph petrochemical facilities along the Mississippi. The pilots were startled, because their airstrip is fairly obscure. They played dumb, and told the foreigner to come back on Sunday, when they'd have fuel. When the man left, the pilots notified the FBI.

The next day, the foreigner returned, and the FBI took him into custody. A law enforcement official later told my father that the man was an Austrian citizen who had been on a government watch list, and had been deported. The story was never reported. I bet things like that are happening all the time.
Posted at 04:09 PM

I apologize if someone has already posted this, but I though it might be useful for those of us who air travel:

From Hughhewitt.com

If you should ever be unfortunate enough to be caught on a hijacked aircraft and you wish to fight back, forget about throwing pop cans. Unless you're practiced, your chances of actually hitting are too low, and even if you hit you won't make any difference.The battle will not be won with missile weapons.

Forget about using a pop can as a bludgeon. Swinging attacks are too easily blocked, and they leave you open. Your arm is exposed for too long and can be slashed, and it puts your face within reach of his weapon.

All seat cushions on airliners are removable and have two straps underneath. They're intended for use as life preservers in case of a water landing, but they will also make decent shields if you are facing adversaries armed with knives. They are relatively large, not very heavy, and quite thick, and will stop slashing attacks or stabs with short-bladed weapons such as box cutters. Use one with your off-arm. Insert your arm through one strap and then hold the other strap in your hand. Make sure it doesn't slide around; it may be necessary to loop the straps. It should feel like part of your arm.

Unless you have a pocket knife, your weapon of choice is a pen. Hold either with the point extending between your thumb and forefinger. Keep enough of it in your hand so that your grip is secure. Make quick jabbing attacks, like a striking snake. Withdraw immediately; never leave your arm extended. Aim for his eyes. If you can hit his eye, he will be out of the fight, and even if you miss it will affect his ability to fight back, because it is instinctive to defend when your eyes are threatened. If you can make him fear you then half your battle is already won. Most other targets are invulnerable to your weapon. If he is wearing goggles, aim for the throat.

If you have no weapon at all, extend your forefinger and aim for the eyes. Avoid swinging or slashing attacks if a thrusting attack is possible; thrusting attacks are always superior.

Your alternate attack is called a "shield rush". If he shields his face with his arm, then he is top heavy and off balance. Holding the seat cushion with both hands, charge the enemy and try to knock him down or pin him against a wall. While he is pinned, a friend behind you can then disable or kill him.

Before going into action, fill your mouth with fluid. If you get close enough, blow it into his face to temporarily blind and distract him; then make an attack while he can't defend himself. It will be your best chance, so make it count.

If you have a thrusting weapon and a shield and he has a slashing weapon and no shield, you have the advantage. You will also have the advantage of numbers. If it is possible to do so, double-team against him.

Forget about trying to capture him unharmed. The ideal outcome is his death. There is no room for chivalry here. Mercy is a luxury you cannot afford. Do whatever is necessary to win.

There will be plenty of time to throw up later. (And while you're throwing up, remember that you have to be alive to throw up.)

Update 20020123: The biggest problem with thrown weapons is that they can be thrown back. The Romans wrestled with this problem when they designed the pilum. The final design they ended up with had a head made of soft iron which was designed to bend and deform when it hit; this would make it so it could not be thrown back.

(repeated for publicity; Ms. Bruce has been reading an abridged version of the story
now on news-break)

this story now being covered on the Tammy Bruce radio show on KABC 790AM in Los Angeles...
(sorry, no streaming audio for this show...)
NOW = Saturday 7-17-04; 4:35 PM PAC TIME)

It will be interesting to see if Ms. Bruce has gathered more information to
confirm/deny this story...as in...if these are truly 14 Syrian musicians, you'd think
they'd be on ABC/CBS/NBC TV news to get their 15 minutes of PRICELESS publicity
for their livelihood as musicians!
You'd think that NPR/PBS/CAIR would have put these 14 Syrians in front of the
camera in order to shame the writer of the article as a shameless, racist profiler.

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