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.”
You are assuming that Annie Jacobsen's is accurate. After reading it, I found it unbelievable. I wasn't there, so I certainly could be wrong. There were other people on the flight. Time for someone in the media to get to the bottom of this.
and a guy trying to hold a match to his shoe, would you be skeptical of that account too?
I didn't see anywhere in the article where the Feds disputed her description of the actions of the folks of concern.
Comparing these two incindent makes no sense. Try again.
I guess the notes they were passing were just final updates to their "music"
And the hand signals as they work without a conductor. .....your regular 14 member Syrian free-flow band.
The scariest sentence in the English language is: We're from the government and we're here to help you.
-- Ronald Wilson Reagan
40th and greatest President of
The United States of America.
They said she was overreacting. All I need is the truth. That's why someone should fully investigate.
They probably didn't want to offend those poor 14 ME(s)so they let them slide on their visa expirations. They should have detained and turned them over to the INS for processing (deportation). Prior to their release, conduct all the necessary interpol, NCIC checks on them. I think we have too many klintoon holdovers still working in our Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. I don't care who I offend, if it means saving American lives in performance of my duties both on and off the job. Bush/Cheney 2004
You have chosen to believe everything in the initial accounts of the story. Why? Because it fits nicely into what you'd like to believe. Have a nut.
I have seen various articles about this and many details have so far been verified. None, as far as I am aware, have been shown to be inaccurate. Based on that it seems reasonable to assume that the other details are substantially correct.
Real cool of the air marshals to blame her for justifiably being concerned.
/sarcasm
Incredibly selfish of the air marshals quoted in this piece.
suppose this author had come off the plane and had written an article where she claimed she saw someone trying to light a fuse on their shoe? and she reported it to the flight crew, who told her she was "over-reacting"?
instead, she posts that these men were simply walking around, passing notes and items, and suspiciously using the bathroom.
which story sounds more unbelievable? the shoe lighting of course. which event actually happened on a flight? the shoe lighting. so based on that, why is her account so unbelieveable, when the events she described are far less dramatic as saying someone was trying to light their shoe?
"overreact" only means she almost disrupted the outcome. She meant no harm, and they know that now, but she and her husband were a concern in and of themselves in the whole situation.
This seems to be a pretty reasonable judgment and perspective from the point of view of the Air Marshalls in that incident.
It was weird, and everyone who was watching thought so.
So much for anonymity. It isn't heartening to know that air marshals are this easily identified.
The 14 Syrian "musicians" with expired visas
1. Never should have been allowed to board the USA bound flight in Damascus
2. Never should have been allowed to pass customs and immigration when they arrived in Detroit and should have been deported immediately
3. Should have been deported immediately after being questioned by the FBI and TSA after they landed at LAX. These FBI and TSA clowns didn't even check the expiration dates of their visas during their questioning!
I'll tell yunz how I would react. If I were on a plane and a spotted...just spotted... a couple of middle eastern men I'd smile and keep my eye on them.
If I see anything at all I don't like the smile is gone, my eyes stay glued to them and make no mistake, they would know I'm not happy to see them.
They don't like it....TOO DANG BAD!
Luckily I don't fly unless it's a private planeand I know the pilot or pilot it myself.
prisoner6
I think now perhaps you have a clue as to how complex their job is.
Joe Scarborough is sticking with the story.
Sounds like it.
What good are air marshals if they wait for the bomb to go off? After all, there is no crime until that bomb explodes.
/sarcasm
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