Posted on 07/24/2004 4:05:17 PM PDT by HostileTerritory
Undercover federal air marshals on board a June 29 Northwest airlines flight from Detroit to LAX identified themselves after a passenger, “overreacted,” to a group of middle-eastern men on board, federal officials and sources have told KFI NEWS.
The passenger, later identified as Annie Jacobsen, was in danger of panicking other passengers and creating a larger problem on the plane, according to a source close to the secretive federal protective service.
Jacobsen, a self-described freelance writer, has published two stories about her experience at womenswallstreet.com, a business advice web site designed for women.
“The lady was overreacting,” said the source. “A flight attendant was told to tell the passenger to calm down; that there were air marshals on the plane.”
The middle eastern men were identified by federal agents as a group of touring musicians travelling to a concert date at a casino, said Air Marshals spokesman Dave Adams.
Jacobsen wrote she became alarmed when the men made frequent trips to the lavatory, repeatedly opened and closed the overhead luggage compartments, and appeared to be signaling each other.
“Initially it was brought to [the air marshals] attention by a passenger,” Adams said, adding the agents had been watching the men and chose to stay undercover.
Jacobsen and her husband had a number of conversations with the flight attendants and gestured towards the men several times, the source said.
“In concert with the flight crew, the decision was made to keep [the men] under surveillance since no terrorist or criminal acts were being perpetrated aboard the aircraft; they didn’t interfere with the flight crew,” Adams said.
The air marshals did, however, check the bathrooms after the middle-eastern men had spent time inside, Adams said.
FBI agents met the plane when it landed in Los Angeles and the men were questioned, and Los Angeles field office spokeswoman Cathy Viray said it’s significant the alarm on the flight came from a passenger.
“We have to take all calls seriously, but the passenger was worried, not the flight crew or the federal air marshals,” she said. “The complaint did not stem from the flight crew.”
Several people were questioned, she said, but no one was detained.
Jacobsen’s husband Kevin told KFI NEWS he approached a man he thought was an air marshal after the flight had landed.
“You made me nervous,” Kevin said the air marshal told him.
“I was freaking out,” Kevin replied.
“We don’t freak out in situations like this,” the air marshal responded.
Federal agents later verified the musicians’ story.
“We followed up with the casino,” Adams said. A supervisor verified they were playing a concert. A second federal law enforcement source said the concert itself was monitored by an agent.
“We also went to the hotel, determined they had checked into the hotel,” Adams said. Each of the men were checked through a series of databases and watch-lists with negative results, he said.
The source said the air marshals on the flight were partially concerned Jacobsen’s actions could have been an effort by terrorists or attackers to create a disturbance on the plane to force the agents to identify themselves.
Air marshals’ only tactical advantage on a flight is their anonymity, the source said, and Jacobsen could have put the entire flight in danger.
“They have to be very cognizant of their surroundings,” spokesman Adams confirmed, “to make sure it isn’t a ruse to try and pull them out of their cover.”
oh, that was nothing. he was just despondent, that's all. we should give him a taxpayer provided therapist, to help him with his problems.
</sarcasm>
Now you've got me trying to envision "Rawhide" with an Arabic accent.
Using the lavatory: 30 lashes! Talking among your friends: Cut out the tongue! Checking storage compartments: Chop off the hand!
Subtracting slightly for ?slsight? hyperbole,
I very much agree.
Lots of details in this version. Thanks. Interesting that the FBI thought the McDonald's bag in the bathroom was significant. I can't see the bathroom as being the ideal place to scarf down a Big Mac. But, I can see that if you have a bunch of trash accumulating, you might ditch it in the bathroom rather than wait for the flight attendant.
Together with her story, the pieces fit together quite well for me. And I don't fault anyone involved. She was right to be worried, but she was also a loose cannon.... From their perspective trying to watch all this, they worried about her instigating or getting in the way of their jobs if something did go down. No fault at the time, just complexities to be aware of in thei very difficult game of trying to be right all the time.
Why didn't the lady think of musicians immediately?
PERCEPTIVE sleuthing logic, imho.
well said.
At least frequent potty trips should not be allowed. Going in to your stuff should be prevented to.
14 women would probably have generated no more than 7 such trips, and none of them toward the end of the flight after the coffee drinkers had made a mass of the lavatories.
Ms. Jacobson was concerned with men using the lavatory.
maybe it was her new band
So, If I tell you that a terrorist knocked on my door today you could compare it to the shoe bomber story and know immediately if I’m telling the truth.
Try your amazing method and tell me which of the following is true:
A. A terrorist knocked on my door.
B. I nearly wrecked today.
C. I bought some lettuce today.
It seems to me by the original story, that they had ample time to do whatever they wanted to do while they "were under surveillance!
See post 67. It was an Indian casino in San Diego county. That's the story anyway.
A coworker told me that Muslims always wash before prayers and the coordinated bathroom trips would have reflected that if they all were going to pray at the same time.
OK Mr. fixit.... you tell me.... What exactly should they have done that they didn't do?
If there are air marshals on the flight they would react to an attack immediately. If this happens be ready to help but don't get in the way. Air marshals stand out, easy to spot. Of course a passenger who can't spot musicians probably wouldn't be perceptive of air marshals, either. If there are no air marshals on the flight, and this wouldn't be certain, just be alert and kind of look for others who might be in shape, martial arts types and former military who still keep up some training. While figuring out the emergency exits, seat cushions, etc., get a mental image of who is where.
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